Product Description

This is a study of noblewomen in 12th-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 reconceptualization 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 12th-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 should 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #251829 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Review
Innovative approaches to the history of powerful women are evident in Susan M. Johns (book) which structures a great deal of new material in productive ways, making especially good use of women's seals and the neglected Fotuli de dominabus of 1185 alongside narrative texts and charters. Her case studies of the countesses of Chester and the patrons of Clerkenwell nunnery of the outskirts of London are well chosen. Annual Bulletin of Historical Literature --Annual Bulletin of Historical Literature

John's work in this section is ground-breaking. Susan John s work is careful, thoughtful and refreshing, demonstrating that careful analysis of character evidence provides a complex image of medieval noblewomen. The author should be congratulated for having produced a work of diplomatic analysis which is so pleasurable to read. --Laura Napran, Pembroke College, University of Cambridge Early Medieval Europe 2003 12 (3)