Barber Surgeons in 16th-17th Century England: Salary & Practices

Barber‑Surgeons in Early Modern England (1500s–1600s)

The Company of Barber‑Surgeons (incorporated 1540) governed practitioners who combined tonsorial and surgical tasks. They were distinct from university‑trained physicians.

Income & Economic Status

• Apprentice / journeyman: £5–£10/year + room, board, clothing.
• Master barber‑surgeon (shop owner): £20–£50/year from services; additional income from:

• Tooth extraction (major revenue source)
• Bloodletting, cupping, leeching
• Minor surgery: lancing abscesses, trephining, amputations (battlefield)
• Herbal / proprietary remedies
• Midwifery assistance (some)

Training & Regulation

• 7‑year apprenticeship; literacy not required.
• Anatomy knowledge from public dissections (Barber‑Surgeons’ Hall).
• 1745 split: Surgeons separated (Company of Surgeons → Royal College of Surgeons 1800). Barbers retained grooming.

Social Context

Barber‑surgeons served the majority who couldn’t afford physicians. Their pole (red/white) symbolized blood and bandages. Despite low status, they provided essential trauma and infection care.