• About
  • Policies
  • What is open access
  • Library
  • Contact
Advanced search
      View Item 
      •   BUIR Home
      • University Library
      • Bilkent Theses
      • Theses - Department of History
      • Dept. of History - Master's degree
      • View Item
      •   BUIR Home
      • University Library
      • Bilkent Theses
      • Theses - Department of History
      • Dept. of History - Master's degree
      • View Item
      JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

      "Acta est fabula, plaudite!" : the role of women in late medieval England : the evidence from wills

      Thumbnail
      View / Download
      793.4 Kb
      Author(s)
      Mağıltaş, Naile
      Advisor
      Thornton, David
      Date
      2009
      Publisher
      Bilkent University
      Language
      English
      Type
      Thesis
      Item Usage Stats
      162
      views
      41
      downloads
      Abstract
      The purpose of this thesis is to provide an insight into the role and place of women in late medieval England through a qualitative and quantitative examination of 403 women’s wills from 1300 to 1500. The sample used in this thesis is collected from different sources to establish a general profile of women from different regions of England as revealed by their distribution of property to wide range of relations formed within and outside the household. A woman’s right to hold property, and in relation to this, her testamentary behaviour were affected by her marital status, class, and most especially, by her gender. Though disadvantaged under testamentary law, women used an official arena such as wills to control the way their modest wealth and property were distributed after death. Medieval women’s wills were almost the only source in which women directly narrated their life stories, and by means of their iv wills, late medieval English women provided for their souls, their family and also their friends. It is apparent from the evidence of their wills that women not only followed the characteristics attributed to their sex but that the act of will-writing also gave most women an opportunity to be autonomous and assertive. Thus, women distributed freely their personal possessions for the well-being of those who were important and dear to them at least when they were close to death.
      Keywords
      Gender
      women
      wills
      testatrices
      bequests
      beneficiaries
      late medieval England
      Permalink
      http://hdl.handle.net/11693/28922
      Collections
      • Dept. of History - Master's degree 190
      Show full item record

      Browse

      All of BUIRCommunities & CollectionsTitlesAuthorsAdvisorsBy Issue DateKeywordsTypeDepartmentsThis CollectionTitlesAuthorsAdvisorsBy Issue DateKeywordsTypeDepartments

      My Account

      LoginRegister

      Statistics

      View Usage StatisticsView Google Analytics Statistics

      Bilkent University

      If you have trouble accessing this page and need to request an alternate format, contact the site administrator. Phone: (312) 290 1771
      © Bilkent University - Library IT

      Contact Us | Send Feedback | Off-Campus Access | Admin | Privacy