The Baker Home
By Chris Venner
Western Michigan University
Spring 2007

The Baker home was a small home for the time. Mr. Matthew Baker needed the help of his children to run the bakery, and even so couldnt afford a large home. The house had a thatch roof, as did most homes of the time, with a few small windows and three rooms. (http://www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages/homes.html).

The first room, when entering the house, was the kitchen. The Bakers were lucky to have a chimney in their kitchen. This allowed them to cook much easier as well as provide all the warmth of the house. Also in the kitchen is a wooden table with chairs where the family could eat. Mr. Baker and the four eldest children are often working in the bakery, Mrs. Baker and the younger children always make sure there is food on the table at meal times. Most of the foods the Bakers eat are either vegetables grown in their own kitchen garden, breads or meat (http://www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages/homes.html).

The next room is the childrens bedroom. This room contains two large beds where the children sleep together. This room contains a chest for cloths storage (http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/pdailylife.html). The elder three children: John, Elizabeth and Mary share one bed while Gunther, Garthe and Sarah share another bed.

The Bakers are lucky enough to be able to afford beds that were made to stand off the floor, with straw mattresses (http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/pdailylife.html). The Bakers are also lucky enough to have a different sleeping room from their children. They too, sleep in a bed made to stand up off the floor with a straw mattress. There is a chest for clothes storage in this room as well.

Outside the house to the back is an herb garden. Mrs. Rebecca Baker and her youngest children tend the garden everyday so that in the spring they will have fresh food. The garden contains herbs such as parsley, mint, and rosemary along with a few vegetables. These, along with fresh bread, allow Mrs. Baker to provide wholesome tasty meals for her family.