A Medieval Profession that Lit the Way to the Sea

Chandlery was commonly practiced during the Medieval Ages however, the nature of the profession was a quite different one compared to modern time chandlering. Chandlers used to procure, reproduce and allocate wax candles for his/her household. The chandlers’ practice started to develop new lines of work in the beginning of 17th century. As dealers of candles, they started trading all relevant products and supplies to their customers and each medieval time retailer tried to focus on one area of supply such as oil, wax, even a variety of . Later in the 18th century, chandlers became more interested maritime services as expeditions and explorations amplified. Ship chandling as we know it today, sprung out of the wide range of needs of ships after long maritime travels and extended range navigating. Contemporary ship chandlery revolves around knowledgeable and innovative solutions to adress the shortcomings of a ship before its new voyage. Quickest, on-time and proficient delivery of requested goods and services is essential to become a strong partner for the vessel.