PrenticeNet

In our Summer 2001 Issue we had an article about Medieval Occupations . By email of 7 Oct 2002, HollyTippetts brings to our attention another medieval occupation: a Fewterer.

A Google search leads us to the Fewterer's Guild at www.fewterersguild.org/fewterer.php which tells us that:

The fewterer was the keeper and handler of the greyhounds in medieval and Renaissance society. They took the hounds in "couples" into the fields for the hunt, and released them at the appointed time. While being a fewterer was a peasant's position, it was a well-respected one.

Who had hounds in Renaissance Society? While the laws governing ownership of greyhounds were relaxed during the Renaissance to allow non-nobility to own greyhounds, it would not have been normal for a peasant to own one. In general, the owner...was of the nobility, or was a wealthy merchant. These people, however, generally delegated the care of their hounds to hired help (peasants).

If you have any additional information about Fewterers, or about other unusual medieval occupations, please contact us at dewald@prenticenet.com.