What was the cartwright' s job in medieval times?

Answer 1

A cartwright made (in Old English "wrought") carts, which have only two wheels - wagons have four and are generally much larger.

The cartwright might make the wheels himself, or obtain them from a wheelwright; the wheels would be made of three different types of wood because of their different properties. Medieval wheels had short sections of iron joined to form the ring or tyre which held the whole wheel together.

Carts might have simple wooden sides, or a canvas cover, or a kind of railing each side, depending on its use.

A carter was a man who used a cart, either walking alongside the oxen that pulled it or sitting on the front of the cart itself.

Answer 2

A cartwright was a craftsman who built carts for a living. The main elements were the floor of the cart and the two wheels - in the 12th century in England these always had 8 spokes and were made of different types of wood selected for their particular properties.

The wheels were joined by an axletree of wood under the floor of the cart; the wheel hubs were secured to the ends of this by means of large iron pins. Iron shoes surrounded the rims of the wheels to protect the wood from wear.

The body of the cart could be left simply as a flat floor, or it might have have boards fitted at the sides, or simple screens of wattle, or be enclosed under a canvas cover.

One or two long wooden shafts extended forwards for the attachment of the draught animals - these were either oxen or poor-quality horses.

Answer 3

A cartwright was a craftsman who made or repaired carts.