Understanding Western Society
Printed Page 296
Many urban houses were larger than the tiny village dwellings, so families took in domestic servants. A less wealthy household employed one woman who assisted in all aspects of running the household; a wealthier one employed a large staff of male and female servants with specific duties.
Along with live-
Illegal activities offered another way for people to support themselves. Theft and prostitution were common in medieval cities. Many who engaged in such activities also worked as laundresses, day laborers, porters, peddlers, or street vendors when they could. Cities also drew in orphans, blind people, and the elderly, who resorted to begging for food and money.