Daughters of London Later Medieval Europe Managing Editor Douglas Biggs University of Nebraska – Kearney Editorial Board Members Kelly DeVries Loyola College William Chester Jordan Princeton University Cynthia J. Neville Dalhousie University Kathryn L. Reyerson University of Minnesota VOLUME 8 Daughters of London Inheriting Opportunity in the Late Middle Ages By Kate Kelsey Staples LEIDEN • BOSTON 2011 Cover illustration: Detail from Civitas Londinum, c. 1560, including places and streets like Chepesyde, Maidenhed lane, Distaf lane, S. Pancrees lane, and Bowe church. From the John R. Borchert Map Library, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Staples, Kate Kelsey. Daughters of London : inheriting opportunity in the late Middle Ages / by Kate Kelsey Staples. p. cm. — (Later medieval Europe ; 8) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-20311-2 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Women—England—London—History—To 1500. 2. Women—England—London— Legal status, laws, etc. 3. Marital property—England—London. 4. Inheritance and succession—England—London. 5. England--Social conditions—1066-1485. I. Title. HQ1147.G7S73 2011 305.409421’20902—dc22 2011001409 ISSN 1872-7875 ISBN 978 90 04 20311 2 Copyright 2011 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. contents v For mom and dad vi contents contents vii . . CONTENTS Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .ix List.of.Figures.and.Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .xi List.of.Abbreviations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii Chapter.One:.Urban.Daughters,.their.Opportunities,.and. London.Wills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..1 Women,.Family,.and.Inheritance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ..7 Daughters.and.Burgage.Tenure.in.Late.Medieval.Towns. . . .. 10 Wills.and.Social.History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13 The.Husting.Wills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 18 Inheriting.Opportunity.in.London:.A.New.Framework. . . . .. 30 Chapter.Two:.Testators.and.their.Influence.in.Late.Medieval. London. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 33 Types.of.Bequests.in.the.Husting.Wills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 43 Conditions.Placed.on.Bequests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 51 The.Influence.of.Gender.on.Bequests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 55 The.Influence.of.Occupation.on.Bequests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 63 Conclusions.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 69 Chapter.Three:.Prospects.of.Power:.Inheriting.Real.Estate.and. Real.Opportunity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 71 Legacies.of.Real.Estate.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 71 Types.of.Inheritance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 82 Presence.of.Siblings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 98 Change.Over.Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 100 Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 109 Chapter.Four:.Envisioning.Daughters’.Lives.Through. Movable.Legacies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 111 Money.and.Annuities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 114 The.Legacies.of.Movable.Goods.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 119 The.Meanings.of.Goods.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 126 viii contents Function.and.Meanings.of.Domestic.Space. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 134 Sibling.Rivalry?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 140 Change.Over.Time.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 141 Conclusions.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 145 Chapter.Five:.Reinterpreting.Daughters’.Economic.Power.in. Late.Medieval.London.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 147 Studying.Women.and.the.Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 148 Considering.Women.as.Investors.and.Managers. . . . . . . . . .. 152 Concentrating.on.Women.in.Urban.England. . . . . . . . . . . .. 158 Considering.London.Women.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 160 Thinking.Anew.About.Women’s.Experiences. . . . . . . . . . . .. 164 Appendix.One:.Testators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 171 Appendix.Two:.Recipients. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 179 Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 187 Index.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 201