What were the classes called in the middle ages?

Answer 1

There were three classes that especially stand out, as they were commented on by medieval writers and modern historians. They were the clergy, or First Estate, the nobles, or Second Estate, and the commoners, or Third Estate.

The idea of the three estates is really rather deceptive, because it fails to address the real situation completely. For one thing, the royalty were technically not nobles, so they are left out of the scheme. For another thing, the overwhelming majority of members of the nobility were also commoners. And for another thing, the meanings of these terms varied quite a lot from one place to another and from one time to another.

In England of the Late Middle Ages, for example, the various classes included the following:

• Royalty, who included members of the royal family.
• Clergy, who constituted the First Estate.
• Peers, who were nobles of the Second Estate, including all those whose titles were baron, viscount, earl, marquess, or duke, but who were not members of the royal family. These people were able to sit in the House of Lords. They were not able to sit in the House of Commons.
• Commoners, who were of the Third Estate, including all nobles whose highest title was baronet or knight, landed gentry, and wealthy middle class. They could sit in the House of Commons, but not in the House of Lords.
• Lesser folk, who were said to be of the Fourth Estate and included anyone who had neither wealth nor title.

The boundary between the Third and Fourth Estates was never very clear. For example, there might have been some question as to which group would include a yeoman. Also, the Fourth Estate had a number of distinct groups within it; freemen, for example, were very different from serfs.

Bear in mind that the meaning of the term "Fourth Estate" changed radically from time to time. Today, it is applied to journalists.

Also, the boundary between the clergy and the other classes was similarly unclear. A member of any of the other classes could be in the clergy. In fact there was some question as to what constituted the clergy, because monks, who were not ordained, could be clergy, and in the end it came to the point where anyone who could read was considered to be in the clergy, for some purposes.

Answer 2

At the bottom was the peasants and servants then above them were the sub-tenants which were knights and the clergy (lower level priests). Above them were the Tenants which were the lords (and ladys) and bishops. And Above them all was the monarch. Thats just a brief guide but if you find out more about each category then it will become more detailed. Good Luck with the rest of your research.

Answer 3

Peasants, Merchants, Knights,Kings? Queens, And above them all is the pope