Noblewomen, Aristocracy and Power in the Twelfth-Century Anglo-Norman Realm (Gender in History)

290 Pages·2003·2.7 MB·English

by  Susan M. Johns

in
GENDER HISTORY
Series editors:
Pam Sharpe, Patricia Skinner and Penny Summerfield
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The expansion of research into the history of women and gender since the
1970s has changed the face of history. Using the insights of feminist theory
and of historians of women, gender historians have explored the configura-
tion in the past of gender identities and relations between the sexes. They
have also investigated the history of sexuality and family relations, and
analysed ideas and ideals of masculinity and femininity. Yet gender history
has not abandoned the original, inspirational project of women’s history: to
recover and reveal the lived experience of women in the past and the present.
The series Gender in History provides a forum for these developments.
Its historical coverage extends from the medieval to the modern periods,
and its geographical scope encompasses not only Europe and North America
but all corners of the globe. The series aims to investigate the social and
cultural constructions of gender in historical sources, as well as the gendering
of historical discourse itself. It embraces both detailed case studies of spe-
cific regions or periods, and broader treatments of major themes. Gender in
History titles are designed to meet the needs of both scholars and students
working in this dynamic area of historical research.
Noblewomen, aristocracy and power
in the twelfth-century Anglo-Norman realm
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i
Seal of Alice, Countess of Northampton (1140–60, Egerton Ch.431).
Reproduced by permission of the British Library
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NOBLEWOMEN,
ARISTOCRACY
POWER
AND
in the
twelfth-century
anglo-norman realm
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Susan M. Johns
Manchester University Press
Manchester and New York
distributed exclusively in the USA by Palgrave
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iii
Copyright © Susan M. Johns 2003
The right of Susan M. Johns to be identified as the author of this work has been
asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Published by Manchester University Press
Oxford Road, Manchester m139nr, UK
and Room 400,175 Fifth Avenue, New York, ny10010, USA
www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk
Distributed exclusively in the USA by Palgrave
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, ny10010, USA
Distributed exclusively in Canada by UBC Press
University of British Columbia, 2029 West Mall,
Vancouver, BC, Canada v6t1z2
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data applied for
isbn 0719063043 hardback
0719063051 paperback
First published 2003
111009080706050403 10987654321
Typeset in Minion with Scala Sans display
by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong
Printed in Great Britain
by Bell & Bain Ltd, Glasgow
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For Tim Thornton
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Contents
tables and figures page viii
preface ix
abbreviations xi
1 introduction 1
part i Literary sources
2 Power and portrayal 13
3 Patronage and power 30
part ii Noblewomen and power: the charter evidence
4 Countesses 53
5 Witnessing 81
6 Countergifts and affidation 107
7 Seals 122
8 Women of the lesser nobility 152
9 Royal inquests and the power of noblewomen: the Rotuli
de Dominabus et Pueris et Puellis de XII Comitatibus of 1185 165
10 conclusion 195
appendix 1 Catalogue of seals from the twelfth and
early thirteenth centuries 203
appendix 2 Noblewomen in the Rotuli de Dominabus 231
bibliography 247
index 269
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Tables and figures
tables
1 Ages of widows in the Rotuli de Dominabus page 174
2 Widows’ children 175
3 Economic resources 178
4 Age of widows and nature of land tenure ranked
according to wealth 180
5 The nature of the widows’ lands 183
6 Percentage of sample holding by different forms of
tenure, according to overall value 184
figures
1 The earls of Chester in the eleventh and twelfth centuries 55
2 The genealogy of Muriel de Munteni 154
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Preface
This book began life as a Ph.D. thesis, supervised by Professor David
Bates during his time at Cardiff. I had been won over to medieval his-
tory, in spite of the excitements of more modern history so ably taught
by such as Professor Dai Smith and Professor Harry Hearder, through
the willingness of Professor Bates to incorporate a modern approach to
the study of medieval history. In particular, the challenge offered by the
history of noblewomen in the twelfth century was one that was hard to
turn down. The debates surrounding women’s history, and the new
approaches to the history of the high Middle Ages in the British Isles
which Professor Bates and others were developing offered tempting pros-
pects – as too did the frequent affirmations from many to whom I
spoke that my particular subject was impossible as material for a Ph.D.
One who did not, and who was fortuitously the external examiner for
medieval history at the time, Professor Janet Nelson, was particularly
supportive (and has remained so over the whole course of the project).
Also, Professor David Crouch was kind enough to allow me access to
his Comital Acta project.
I was especially fortunate to get a job teaching at the University of
Huddersfield when I was only two and a half years into my research, an
appointment to replace Professor Pauline Stafford during her British
Academy Research Readership. This period of research leave produced
Queen Emma and Queen Edith, and for me it allowed a very fruitful
collaboration with one of the most important scholars of medieval
women anywhere in the world. Working there also brought into sharp
focus the need for historians to be aware of the need for their work to
excite and stimulate the next generation of scholars.
Shortly before leaving Cardiff for Huddersfield, I was able to take
up a research fellowship at the Central European University, owing to
the kindness of Professor Bak. This allowed further reflection, especially
on the way that scholarship on medieval women and power was devel-
oping across Europe.
I have, therefore, been fortunate in being inspired and supported
in this project by a particularly distinguished group of scholars. It
could not have been written without their direct and indirect con-
tributions; I am only too conscious, on the other hand, that its short-
comings remain my own. Trish Skinner has been a very supportive
series editor.
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