Anglo-Irish and Gaelic Women in Ireland, C.1170-1540Gillian Kenny provides a coherent picture of the lives of women in medieval Ireland through an examination of their marital circumstances. By comparing and contrasting the differing lives of Anglo-Irish and Gaelic singlewomen, wives, widows and nuns of late medieval Ireland, the author tries to identify how their functions and roles in society were affected by the differing rights enjoyed and by the restrictions imposed by their different societies. The book is constructed to reflect thematically the standard marital progression of women in medieval Ireland (both Gaelic and Anglo-Irish) from singlewomen to wives to widows. The machinery of church and state dominated and controlled how women conducted their lives. Within these structures, however, women were able, to differing extents, to transmit and receive land and movables, to work for a living as tradeswomen, craftswomen or merchants, or to devote themselves to the spiritual life as singlewomen, wives or widows. |
Contents
List of illustrations | 9 |
Heiresses | 23 |
AngloIrish and Gaelic single women | 38 |
Copyright | |
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abbess abbey accused Alice Anglo-Irish Anglo-Norman annals appear archbishop of Armagh areas bishop Brien Burgh Butler Calendar CJR Ire claimed common law concerning concubinage concubines Connor convent daughter death Despite died diocese dispensation donated Donnell dower dower lands dowry Drogheda earl of Desmond earl of Ormond earl of Ulster Elizabeth England English example father female FitzMaurice Gaelic and Anglo-Irish Gaelic Ireland Gaelic Irish Gaelic wives granted guild heiress heirs Henry husband Ibid inheritance intermarriage Irishwomen Joan John jointure JRSAI Katherine Kerry Kildare Kilkenny king late medieval Ireland liberty of Meath lives Lodge's Peerage lord MacCarthy male manor Margaret Margery marital marriage Matilda Maurice Meath medieval Dublin messuage Middle Ages mother Neill Nicholas nunnery nuns Ormond deeds Otway-Ruthven PRIA prioress Register relationship Richard rolls sexual Simms single women status Thomas Ulster University of Dublin Walter widow wife William woman