Food | Storms | Floods | Les Halles (market) The Saints-Innocents cemetary Clothing | Silk - shoe makers | Trades | Precious metals | Teaching and university| Medieval Book rior to Philippe-Auguste, there To start with, it is interesting to mention that the first "job centre" dated back to 1184 It was located within Sainte-Catherine's Hospital, it was anon-paying hostel for women coming to Paris and who couldn't afford any place to stay. Those women (widows or young girls) would come to Paris to look for a job. Some paying centers of the kind also seem to have existed, maintained by "commenderesses" (female wardens (?) ). As far as trade is concerned, hardly anything written has ever been found, except for the "Livre de la taille" dating back to 1292, which gave a list of all trades and the number of craftsmen in each. You'll find below a list of some of them traced during Philip-Augustus' reign: Butchers : they appear to be the oldest corporation (as early as 1146). In 1182 Philip-Augustus reinforced their privileges. They were granted the right to buy and sell cattle without having to pay a special fee. In 1250 it was a very close-knit brotherhood which was kept in the family and only handed down from father to son. Furriers : they have been known to be in existence since 1183. Philip-Augustus gave them houses he had taken from the Jews he expelled. In fact in February 1182, he had had all the Jews arrested, had condemned them to give their gold, and precious cloth as well as their houses. Those houses were on the present quai du Marché aux fleurs (Flower market bank), near the Justice Palace. Later this street would be called : rue de la pelleterie (something like shovelry street) for a while. Sheet makers : they are mentioned during Philip-Augusutus' reign, since he gave them houses in the Ile de la Cité (city island) - the houses once again were those taken from the Jews. This street will be called : rue de la draperie (sheet making street). This activity developed itself geatly in the 13th century, and became the leading trade in the ciy. However, the making of sheets as it was then will no longer exist after the beginning of the 15th century. Jewellers : they were mentioned as early as 1268. They played an important part in the economical evolution of city . It took 10 years of learning to become a jeweller a that time. Wood crafts . In the Middle-Ages, furniture was quite scarce, so the need for wood workers was limited to carpenters. Grocers-chemists :They appear in the 1292 book of trades. Glove-makers They were;registered in 1208. They were only allowed to make leather gloves, since the right to produce wool or cotton gloves was given to the hatters (hat makers). Wine merchants They seem to have been particularly important amongst the Parisian traders. J. Baldwin tells us that "in 1182, Philippe-Auguste confirmed the bestowment upon the nuns of Saussaie, of half the tithe of the wine brought to the king and queen's cellars in Paris. On top of that they were entitled to half the tithe collected from the wine specifically bought in Paris for the king and the queen. Two years later, in 1192 he regulated the wine trade in Paris". Consequently only the wine merchants confirmed as being living in Paris had the right to unload their wine in the city. The other merchants were only allowed to sell their wine aboard their boats or to buy it in Paris and sell it outside the city limits. They had no right to unload their wine in Paris. Water carriers They have been known as far back as 1121. Philippe-Auguste favoured this guild that directed the river traffic. Thei monopoly on transportation on the Seine between Partis and Mantes was confirmed in 1170. in 1220 thei king assigned them the surveyance of weights and measures, salt tax and low justice. The merchants, of course, had to pay dues in order to have these rights.
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