Noblewomen, aristocracy and power in the twelfth-century anglo-Norman realm / Susan M. Johns.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Johns, Susan M.

Series:

Gender in history.

Gender in history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Women--Great Britain--History.

Women.

Aristocracy (Social class)--Social class.

Aristocracy (Social class).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xii, 276 pages) : illustrations; digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Manchester ; New York : Manchester University Press, c2003.

Language Note:

English

System Details:

textfile

Summary:

This is the first study of noblewomen in twelfth-century England and Normandy, and of the ways in which they exercised power. It draws on a rich mix of evidence to offer an important reconceptualisation of women's role in aristocratic society, and in doing so suggests new ways of looking at lordship and the ruling elite in the high middle ages. The book considers a wide range of literary sources such as chronicles, charters, seals and governmental records to draw out a detailed picture of noblewomen in the twelfth-century Anglo-Norman realm. It asserts the importance of the life-cycle in determining the power of these aristocratic women, thereby demonstrating that the influence of gender on lordship was profound, complex and varied. This work will be of importance to specialists in history and medieval studies, as well as those interested in the experience of women and those working on lordship and feudalism.

Contents:

Tables and figures

Preface

Abbreviations

1. Introduction

2. Power and portrayal

3. Patronage and power

4. Countesses

5. Witnessing

6. Countergifts and affidation

7. Seals

8. Women of the lesser nobility

9. Royal inquests and the power of noblewomen: the Rotuli de Dominabus et Pueris et Puellis de XII Comitatibus of 1185

10. Conclusion

Appendix 1. Catalogue of seals from the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries

Appendix 2. Noblewomen in the Rotuli de Dominabus

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 Unported CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/legalcode

Description based on print version record; resource not viewed.

Other Format:

Print version:

ISBN:

9786610734276

9781781700280

1781700281

9781280734274

1280734272

9781847790538

1847790534

9781417590544

1417590548

OCLC:

191926005

Access Restriction:

Unrestricted online access