Medieval Sourcesonline from Manchester University Press

Medievalsources

Women of the English nobility and gentry [Enter]
1066-1500
Translated and edited by Jennifer Ward

While there is increasing interest in the lives of medieval women, the documentary evidence for their private and public activities remains little known. This book provides a collection of sources for an important and influential group of women in medieval England, and examines changes in their role between 1066 and 1500.

For most noble and gentry-women, early marriage led to responsibilities for family and household, and in the absence of their husbands, for the family estates and retainers. Widowhood enabled them to take control of their affairs and to play an independent part in the local community and sometimes further afield. Although many women's lives followed a conventional pattern, great variety existed within family relationships, and individuality can also be seen in religious practices and patronage. Piety could take a number of different forms, whether a woman became a nun, a vowess, or a noted philanthropist and benefactor to religious institutes.

This collection provides broad-ranging and accessible coverage of the role of noble women in medieval society. It highlights the significant role played by these women within their families, households, estates and communities.

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CONTENTS:
Introduction
I: Marriage
 1. Letter from Margaret Paston to John Paston I, 1463
 2. The marriage of Mary de Bohun, 1380-81
 3. Maintenance of Mary de Bohun by her mother
 4. Baldwin fitz Gilbert's acquisition of the honour of Bourne, 1130
 5. Grant by Henry II to Robert Foliot, 1154-61
 6. The inheritance of William Earl of Gloucester
 7. The wardship of Isabella Bolebec, 1185
 8. The marriage of Belesent, daughter of Roger, son of Odo, 1173-90
 9. Proof of age of Joan de Welles, 1351
 10. Grant by Henry I to Mailes of Gloucester, 1121
 11. The marriage of Hugh de Vere and Hawise de Quency, 1223
 12. Grant of a maritagium by Warin de Bassinburn, 1265-66
 13. The marriage of Hugh de Courtenay and Margaret de Bohun, 1315
 14. The marriage of Hugh Courtenay and Elizabeth Audley, 1387
 15. The marriage of Thomas Danyell and Grace Ogle, 1458
 16. Will of William Berland, 1383
 17. Dispensation for the marriage of John de Hastings Earl of Pembroke and Anne Mauny, 1368
 18. Marriage of William de Roos and Margaret de Neville, 1342
 19. Matrimonial case of John de Carnaby and Joan Mounceaux, 1390-91
 20. The bishop's examination of Margery Paston and Richard Calle, 1469
 21. Letter from Richard Calle to Margery Paston, 1469
 22. Letter from John Paston II to his mother, 1477
 23. Letter from Margery Brews to John Paston III, 1477
 24. Letter from John Mull to Thomas Stonor, 1472
 25. Abduction of Margaret de Multon, 1314-15
 26. Abduction of Elizabeth de Burgh, 1316
 27. The king and the remarriage of widows in the late twelfth century
 28. The second marriage of Joan of Acre, 1297
 29. Levying a feudal aid for the marriage of an eldest daughter
 30. The importance of a public marriage ceremony, 1225
 31. The marriage of the daughters of Roger Mortimer Earl of March, 1328

II: Family
 32. Excerpt from the Dunmow chronicle
 33. Excerpt from the Llanthony chronicle
 34. The will of Eleanor de Bohun, 1399
 35. The Knight of La Tour Landry's advice to his daughters, c. 1372
 36. Adam Marsh's advice to Eleanor de Montfort, c. 1250
 37. The conduct of Warin de Montchensy, 1235-53
 38. Letter from Elizabeth Stonor to William Stonor, 1476
 39. Letter from Katherine Chadyrton to George Plumpton, c. 1450-55
 40. Cecily Duchess of York in Normandy, 1441-44
 41. Wills of Michael and Joan de Poynings, 1368-69
 42. Wills of William and Elizabeth Septvans, 1448
 43. Claim for dower by William Paynel and Margaret de Camoys, 1300
 44. Maintenance of Katherine Swynford in Mary de Bohun's household, 1387
 45. Adam son of Warin's provision for a second wife and family, c. 1140-52
 46. The two wives of Gilbert Pecche, 1432-40
 47. Struggles of the Neville family, 1432-40
 48. The projected divorce between Earl John of Warenne and Joan of Bar, 1314
 49. The reputed pregnancy of Matilda Countess of Gloucester, 1316
 50. The birth of Humphrey de Bohun, 1304
 51. The burial of Humphrey de Bohun, 1304
 52. The birth of Mary de Bohun's first child, 1382
 53. The birth of Mary de Bohun's son, Thomas, 1387-88
 54. Proof of age of Ralph Basset, 1322
 55. Proof of age of John de Gray, 1321
 56. Proof of age of Alice de Newentone, 1329
 57. A miracle performed on James de Clare, 1170-73
 58. Mary de Bohun's purchases for her children, 1387-88
 59. Children in the care of their widowed mother, 1185
 60. Proposal for Henry de Montfort to stay with Robert Grosseteste, c.1252
 61. John of Lancaster in the household of Margaret de Brotherton, 1397
 62. Latter from Elizabeth Stonor to William Stonor, 1476
 63. The de la Pole children, 1416-17
 64. The upbringing of Isabella Stonor, 1432
 65. The wardship of Hamo Lestrange, 1317
 66. Arrangements for Alice Plumpton to live with her son, 1428
 67. Elizabeth de Burgh's concern for her children, 1339-52
 68. Elizabeth de Burgh's bequests to the Bardolf family, 1355
 69. The will of William de Ferrers, 1368

III: Land
 70. Domesday holdings of Azelina, widow of Ralph Taillebois
 71. Women's holdings in 1185
 72. Grant by Hawise, wife of William earl of Gloucester, c.1150-83
 73. Grant be Matilda of St Hilary, 1152-73
 74. Grant by Alured and Sibyl de Bendeville, 1151
 75. Grant by Robert the butler, 1138-c. 1150
 76. Grant by Amicia Countess of Hertford, 1198-1223
 77. Grant by Hawise Countess of Gloucester, 1198-1223
 78. Confirmation of Alice de Grant, 1176
 79. Grant by the abbot of Ramsey to William Pecche and his wife, 1088
 80. Charter of Roger de Valognes, c.1145
 81. Division among co-heiresses in the twelfth century
 82. Division of the inheritance of William de Say, 1198
 83. Division among co-heiresses of the Peveral and Pecche families
 84. Partition among co-heiresses, 1206
 85. Grant of Margaret de Chesney's inheritance, 1214
 86. Ela Countess of Salisbury's inheritance, 1226
 87. Partition of the lands of Richard and Philippa Sergeaux, 1400
 88. Action for dower, 1209
 89. Action for dower, 1199
 90. Roger Mortimer's legal action against his mother, 1292
 91. Claim to hold by courtesy of England, 1200-01
 92. Allocation of dower to Cecily de Morley, 1379
 93. Creation of male entail by Thomas de Beauchamp earl of Warwick, 1344
 94. Claim by Michael de la Pole for his mother's inheritance, 1389
 95. The joint enfeoffment of Andrew and Alice de Bures, 1392
 96. The use of feoffees by the Morley family, 1380
 97. The use of feoffees by John ad Joan de Mohun, 1374
 98. John de Mohun's grant of Dunster to Elizabeth Luttrell, 1376
 99. Ela Countess of Salisbury's grant to her son, 1226-36
 100. Richard II's grant to Joan de Mohun, 1385
 101. Grant by Henry III to Sibyl de Dyve, 1266
 102. Elizabeth de Burgh's protest over Hugh de Despenser the younger, 1326
 103. Provision for women after the Merciless Parliament, 1388
 104. Margaret Paston's preparations for defending Gresham, 1448
 105. Elizabeth de Vere and Richard Duke of Gloucester, 1473-74

IV: Wealth and lordship
 106. Charter of Adeliza de Clermont, 1138-48
 107. Letter of Earl Roger de Clare to Adeliza de Clermont, c.1152
 108. Fees paid by Isabella Lady Morley, 1463-64
 109. 'The Rules of St Robert' for the management of estates, c.1241
 110. Accounts of the demense lands of Isabella do Forz, 1276-77, 1280-81
 111. Valor of Anne Stafford, 1435-36
 112. John Paston I's instructions, 1465
 113. Receiver's account signed by Anne Neville, 1467
 114. Petition from Margaret de Brotherton, 1377
 115. Carta of Margaret de Bohun, 1166
 116. Edward III's letter to Margaret countess of Kent, 1335
 117. The honour court on the Isle of Wight, 1280-81
 118. The honour court at Clare, 1326-27
 119. Arrangements for the wardship made by the countess of Norfolk
 120. Franchises claimed by Isabella de Forz at Cockermouth, 1292
 121. Ela Countess of Salisbury's right to be sheriff of Wiltshire, 1237-38
 122. Grant of the custody of Rochester castle to Joan de Bohun, 1399
 123. Creation of Margaret de Brotherton as duchess of Norfolk, 1397
 124. The Countess of Oxford's support of Richard II, 1404
 125. The retainers of Joan Beauchamp, 1425-26
 126. Royal grant to Elizabeth de Burgh's retainers, 1345

V: Household
 127. The 'Rules of St Robert' concerning the management of household, c.1241
 128. The household of Elizabeth Countess of Hereford, 1304
 129. Elizabeth de Burgh's wardrobe account, 1350-51
 130. Elizabeth Stonor's account-book, 1478
 131. Household roll of Joan de Valence, 1296
 132. Entertainment of the Black Prince, 1358
 133. The household of Alice de Brian, 1412-13
 134. Itinerary and guests of Elizabeth de Burgh, 1349-50
 135. Elizabeth de Burgh's private expenditure, 1351-52
 136. Elizabeth de Burgh's falcons, 1338-39
 137. Joan de Bohun's hunting, 1414
 138. Possessions of Philippa Countess of March, 1378
 139. Furnishings of Matilda Lady St John, 1452
 140. Mary de Bohun's dress, 1387-88
 141. Elizabeth de Burgh's employment of a goldsmith and illuminator, 1339
 142. Servants of Elizabeth Countess of Salisbury, 1414

VI: Religion
 143. Foundations of Walsington priory, 1153
 144. Grant by Matilda Countess of Gloucester to Clare priory, 1276-89
 145. Foundations of the Charterhouse at Hinton, 1227
 146. Grant by Ela Countess of Salisbury to Lacock nunnery, c. 1236
 147. Transfer of the minoresses from Waterbeach to Denny, 1339
 148. Foundation of Pembroke College, Cambridge, 1347
 149. Foundation of Heytesbury hospital, 1472
 150. Patronage over Anglesey Priory, 1333
 151. Will of Anne Countess of Stafford, 1438
 152. Prayer and piety according to Knight of La Tour Landry, c.1372
 153. Election of the Abbess of Barking, 1215
 154. Archbishop Peckham's injunctions to Barking Abbey, 1279
 155. Office of the Cellaress at Barking Abbey in the fifteenth century
 156. The daily life of Cecily Duchess of York, c. 1485-95
 157. Pilgrimage of Andrew and Elizabeth Luttrell to Santiago de Compostella, 1361
 158. Elizabeth de Burgh's religious expenditure, 1351-52
 159. Mary de Bohun's almsgiving, 1388
 160. Celebration of the feast of Thorp, 1347
 161. Will of Elizabeth de Thorp, 1347
 162. Will of Elizabeth Countess of Northampton, 1356
 163. Will of Mary Lady Roos, 1394
 164. Will of Isabella Despenser Countess of Warwick, 1439
 165. Will of Katherine Peverel, 1375
 166. Will of Anne Latimer, 1402
 167. Will of Beatrice Lady Roos, 1414
Glossary
Bibliography

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