This is a tricky one, simply because pre-conversion England is a particularly murky area. If we were talking about 8th Century Offian Mercia or 10th Century Æthelflædian Mercia, we could postulate that as a skilled craftsman, you'd likely live in a proto-urban burh settlement, or at the very least within a larger, possibly fortified village. Earlier in the period this is less secure. You might live within a re-occupied Roman site such as Rocester or Wroxeter, although much of the town around you would be slowly crumbling into ruin.

As a skilled craftsman, you'd most likely be a freeman, in the closest approximation to a middle class amongst the upper levels of the peasant classes. What this does mean is that you would put great effort into displaying your wealth and status to those around you. As a Mercian, you wouldn't use ceramics, and fancy West Saxon fashions like strap ends wouldn't reach for you around two centuries, so you would display your wealth with an ornate belt buckle and a richly-inlaid brooch to fasten your cloak. Your seax, hung at your waist, might have a heavily sculpted or engraved handle, and your wife might wear a well-embroidered mantle over her kirtle dress.

Although I wouldn’t be nobility (or whatever class was considered nobility in those days), could I assume that I’d be afforded a certain amount of respect among the merchant-class and judiciary? Could I work hard, save money and reach some stratus of power, or would I forever just work day-to-day and the only difference would be a touch of extra status due to the odd symbol I could afford due to my craft?

Also, I know that historians like Bede recorded events and details surrounding the leaders of the day, but are there records that can speak to daily life outside of the highly ranking individuals?