‘Against the Order of Chivalry and Against Law and Reason’

: The Mistreatment of Aristocratic Women during Political Crisis, c.1307- 1330

Abstract

This dissertation explores the experiences of aristocratic women during political crisis in early fourteenth century England. Through a focus on the confinement of women in castles and nunneries, as well as their financial punishment, my research interrogates the responses of those in power during a period that was shaped by civil war, deposition, and the violent seizure of royal control. This thesis compares the strategies and motivations of Edward II to the minority regime led by the queen mother, Isabella, and her purported lover, Roger Mortimer, as well as to the opening years of Edward III’s majority. Integral to my work is the discovery of the unprecedent scale and impact of these approaches, which drew in women through a variety of relationships. Addressing considerations of politics, culture, law and gender, this dissertation answers fundamental questions about the character of these regimes through a recognition and assessment of the significant effect that these years had on aristocratic women’s liberty and livelihoods. In doing so, this study contributes much to our understanding of aristocratic women’s position in the fourteenth-century political community, the precedents and expectations that shaped norms of rulership with respect to women, and the influence of gender on women’s experience of political crisis.

Date of Award	19 Mar 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Brendan G C Smith (Supervisor) & Gwen Seabourne (Supervisor)