Izvestiya of Saratov University.

History. International Relations

ISSN 1819-4907 (Print)
ISSN 2542-1913 (Online)

For citation:

Chernova L. N. Women in the social life of a medieval town (based on the material of London in the 14th–15th centuries). Izvestiya of Saratov University. History. International Relations, 2021, vol. 21, iss. 3, pp. 320-329. DOI: 10.18500/1819-4907-2021-21-3-320-329

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0).
Full text:
download
(downloads: 90)
Language: 
Russian
Heading: 
Всеобщая история и международные отношения
Article type: 
Article
UDC: 
94(410)“1”
DOI: 
10.18500/1819-4907-2021-21-3-320-329

Women in the social life of a medieval town (based on the material of London in the 14th–15th centuries)

Autors: 
Chernova Larisa Nikolayevna, Saratov State University
Abstract: 

The article examines the place and role of women in the social life of London in the 14th–15th centuries based on the material of the original sources. It is shown that, despite the restrictions fixed by custom and laws on the social activity of women, the range of occupations of the townsmen –wives and widows – was unusually wide. It is craft and trade, including the right to take apprentices, real estate transactions, and financial deals. Women did not just help men in the craft or trade shops, but also worked independently. The status of women, especially married women, who chose to participate in trade or in town production as their main occupation, was never fully developed. A significant degradation in the position of women in the public sphere in London occurred in the 16th century. The author concludes that, despite all the difficulties, a new type of woman was gradually developed in the city – energetic, enterprising, educated, who acts in society as an independent head of the family and business.

Key words: 
medieval town
London
14th–15th centuries
townswoman
wife
widow
TRADE
craft
real estate transactions
finance and credit
Reference: 
  1. Репина Л. П. Историческая наука на рубеже XX– XXI вв. : социальные теории и историографическая практика. М. : Кругъ, 2011. С. 506–507.
  2. Чернова Л.  Н. Business-women средневекового английского города (на материале Лондона XIV– XVI веков) // Гендер и общество в истории / под ред. Л. П. Репиной, А. В. Стоговой, А. Г. Суприянович. СПб. : Алетейя, 2007. С. 285.
  3. Calendar of Wills proved and enrolled in the Court of Husting, London : in 2 parts / ed. R. R. Sharpe. London : Printed by John C. Francis, 1889. Part 1 : A. D. 1258 – A. D. 1358. P. 462. (далее – Calendar of Wills.)
  4. Calendar of Wills. London : Printed by John C. Francis, 1890. Part 2 : A. D. 1358 – A. D. 1688. P. 347.
  5. Чернова Л. Н. Леди Филпот в матримониальной политике правящей элиты Лондона рубежа XIV– XV вв. // Адам и Ева. Альманах гендерной истории. М. : ИВИ РАН, 2009. № 17. С. 89–104.
  6. Calendar of Wills. Part 1. Р. 462–463.
  7. Ibid. Part 2. P. 347–348.
  8. Ibid. P. 518–519.
  9. Рябова Т. Б. Женщина в истории западноевропейского Cредневековья. Иваново : Юнона, 1999. С. 94–95.
  10. Calendar of Wills. Part 1. P. 179.
  11. Ibid. P. 223.
  12. Ibid. Part 2. P. 599–600.
  13. Ibid. P. 600.
  14. Barron C. M. Medieval London : Collected Papers / ed. by M. Carlin and J. T. Rosenthal. Kalamazoo : Medieval Institute Publications, Western Michigan University, 2017. P. 364.
  15. Calendar of Wills. Part 1. P. 152.
  16. Calendar of the Cartulary of John Pyel // Calendar of the Cartularies of John Pyel and Adam Fraunceys / ed. by S.J. O’Connor. London : Royal Historical Society, 1993. P. 101–192.
  17. Calendar of Wills. Part 2. P. 127–128.
  18. Ibid. P. 403–404.
  19. Ibid. P. 408–409.
  20. Calendar of Letter-Books preserved among the archives of the corporation of the City of London at the Guildhall / еd. by R. Sharpe. Letter-Book E (1312–1337). London : John Edward Francis, 1903. P. 8.
  21. Calendar of Wills. Part 2. P. 421.
  22. Ibid. P. 107.
  23. Calendar of Letter-Books preserved among the archives of the corporation of the City of London at the Guildhall / еd. by R. Sharpe. Letter-Book F (1337–1352). London : John Edward Francis, 1904. P. 67 (далее – Letter-Book F (1337–1352.)
  24. Calendar of Wills. Part 2. P. 129.
  25. Letter-Book F (1337–1352). P. 56.
  26. Ibid. P. 57.
  27. Barron C. M. Op. cit. P. 365.
  28. Calendar of Letters from the Mayor and Corporation of the City of London, A.D. 1350–1370, enrolled and preserved among the Archives of the Corporation at the Guildhall / ed. by R. R. Sharpe. London : Printed by John C. Francis, E.C., 1885. Р. 101 (далее – Calendar of Letters from the Mayor).
  29. Calendar of Wills. Part 1. P. 510.
  30. Ibid. P. 543–544.
  31. Ibid. P. 576.
  32. Ibid. Part 2. P. 163.
  33. Carpenter J. Liber Albus : The White Book of the City of London / ed. and trans. H. T. Riley. London : R. Griffin, 1861. P. 204–205.
  34. Memorials of London Life. XIIIth. XIVth, and XVth Centuries. A.D. 1276–1419 / ed. by H. T. Riley. London : Longmans, Green and Co., 1868. P. 435.
  35. Calendar of Wills. Part 1. P. 236.
  36. Calendar of Letters from the Mayor. Р. 18–19.
  37. Calendar of Wills. Part 2. P. 65.
  38. The Cely Letters, 1472–1488 / ed. byA. Hanham. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1975. Р. 88–89 (далее – The Cely Letters)
  39. Calendar of Wills. Part 1. P. 524.
  40. Barron C. M. Op. cit. P. 366.
  41. Calendar of Letters from the Mayor. Р. 135–136.
  42. Ibid. P. 103.
  43. Чернова Л.  Н. Лондонский олдермен XIV века и его супруга : Джон и Джоан Пайел // Диалог со временем. Альманах интеллектуальной истории. 2008. Вып. 23. С. 32–49.
  44. The Cely Letters. P. 222.
  45. Calendar of Letter-Books preserved among the archives of the corporation of the City of London at the Guildhall / еd. by R. Sharpe. Letter-Book G (1352–1374). London : John Edward Francis, 1905. P. 124.
  46. Calendar of Plea and memoranda rolls (1413–1437) of the city of London / еd. by A. H. Thomas. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1943. P. 55.
  47. Calendar of Wills. Part 1. 491 p.
  48. Ibid. Part 2. 996 p.
  49. Barron C. M. Op. cit. P. 370.
  50. Calendar of Letters from the Mayor. Р. 170.
  51. Barron C. M. Op. cit. P. 370.
  52. Calendar of Wills. Part 2. P. 262–263.
  53. Ibid. P. 391.
  54. Ibid. P. 602–603.
  55. Ibid. P. 604.
  56. Ibid. P. 520
  57. Calendar of Letters from the Mayor. Р. 170.
  58. Barron C. M. Op. cit. P. 370.
  59. Calendar of wills. Part 1. P. 482–483.
  60. Ibid. P. 499–500.
  61. Ibid. Part 2. P. 477–479.
  62. Ibid. Part 1. P. 336.
  63. Ibid. P. 160.
  64. Ibid. P. 170.
  65. Ibid. P. 169.
  66. Ibid. P. 191.
  67. Ibid. P. 423.
  68. Ibid. Part 2. P. 184.
  69. Ibid. P. 383.
  70. Ibid. P. 481.
  71. Ibid. Part 1. P. 227.
  72. Ibid. P. 269.
  73. Barron C. M. Op. cit. P. 372.
  74. Calendar of Wills. Part 2. P. 368–369.
  75. Ibid. P. 450.
  76. Ibid. Part 1. P. 169.
  77. Ibid. P. 233.
  78. Ibid. P. 665.
  79. Rigby S. H. English Society in the Later Middle Ages. Class, Status and Gender. London : Macmillan, 1995. P. 272.
  80. Calendar of Letters from the Mayor. Р. 43.
  81. Calendar of Wills. Part 2. P. 23.
  82. Sutton A. F. Alice Claver, Silkwoman of London and Maker of Mantle Laces for Richard III and Queen Anne // The Ricardian. 1980. № 5. Р. 243–247.
  83. Calendar of wills. Part 1. P. 233.
  84. Ibid. Part 2. P. 44.
  85. Ibid. P. 76.
  86. Barron C. M. Op. cit. P. 371.
  87. Ibid. 88 Calendar of Wills. Part 1. P. 358.
  88. Ibid. P. 341.
  89. Ibid. P. 233.
  90. Ibid. Part 2. P. 134.
  91. Ibid. P. 298–299.
  92. Ibid. Part 1. P. 491.
  93. Ibid. Part 2. P. 454.
  94. Ibid. P. 563.
  95. Репина Л. П. Женщины и мужчины в истории : Новая картина европейского прошлого. Очерки. Хрестоматия. М. : РОССПЭН, 2002. С. 79.
  96. Рябова Т. Б. Указ. соч. С. 98.
  97. Rigby S. H. Op. cit. P. 275.
  98. Barron C. M. Op. cit. P. 371.
  99. Ibid. P. 373
Received: 
28.03.2021
Accepted: 
12.04.2021
Published: 
30.09.2021