Women and the law of the exchequer in the early thirteenth century

This article explores the status and treatment of women under the law of the exchequer in the early thirteenth century and more specifically during the reign of King John of England (1199–1216). Throughout his reign, John systematically exploited the rights he claimed over remarriage, inheritance and dower to extract monetary promises of considerable value from his female subjects. This practice, which was limited severely by Magna Carta, has played a prominent role within wider debates over the exploitative nature of Angevin royal government. However, far less attention has been devoted to the status and treatment of these women once their debts were passed to the exchequer and thus became subject to the rules and routines surrounding the collection of royal finances, which could be (and were) used by John to coerce and punish his subjects. By integrating the treatment of these women and their debts under exchequer law within broader moves to extract money from the king’s subjects, this article seeks to deepen and nuance our understanding of the oppressive nature of Angevin royal government around the turn of the thirteenth century.