A Stage of Life. Going into service was integrated into the fabric of medieval urban society, especially in England, and was not necessarily indicative of low social status. In many ways service was simply a stage of growing up. A period of service allowed children approaching adulthood to become independent of their parents and natal families. For girls, service generally provided a safe transition from girlhood to marriage in their early twenties.

Contracts. Service was governed by a contract that endured for a fixed period. Most servants would work for an employer for a year or two and then move to another household. Often service was taken up in the household of a relative of the family. Male and female servants were about equally in demand in towns, but women had fewer opportunities than men for service in...