Daughters of London : Inheriting Opportunity in the Late Middle Ages

"In historical records, women appear as widows, sometimes as wives or singlewomen, but one thing they had in common was they all were daughters. Through an examination of the Husting wills, Kate Staples focuses on daughters in the late medieval capital and their chances to own, rent, and manage property. These daughters were provided opportunities to be active economic agents in a world often described as hostile to women. Daughters of London also considers parents' influence through their bequests to daughters and the visualization of daughters' household spaces that these bequests allow. By focusing on daughterhood, and particularly urban daughters' experiences of inheritance, we can refocus the lens through which we can see and understand women's lives in the medieval past"--Back cover Contents Acknowledgments LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES LIST OF Abbreviations Chapter One URBAN DAUGHTERS, THEIR OPPORTUNITIES, AND LONDON WILLS Women, Family, and Inheritance Daughters and Burgage Tenure in Late Medieval Towns Wills and Social History The Husting Wills Inheriting Opportunity in London: A New Framework Chapter Two TESTATORS AND THEIR INFLUENCE Types of Bequests in the Husting Wills Conditions Placed on Bequests The Influence of Gender on Bequests The Influence of Occupation on Bequests Conclusions Chapter Three Prospects of Power: Inheriting Real Estate and Real Opportunity Legacies of Real Estate Types of Inheritance Presence of Siblings Change Over Time Conclusions Chapter Four ENVISIONING DAUGHTERS’ LIVES THROUGH Movable Legacies Money and Annuities The Legacies of Movable Goods The Meanings of Goods Function and Meanings of Domestic Space Sibling Rivalry? Change Over Time Conclusions Chapter Five Reinterpreting Daughters’ Economic Power in Late Medieval London Studying Women and the Economy Considering Women as Investors and Managers Concentrating on Women in Urban England Considering London Women Thinking Anew About Women’s Experiences Appendix One: Testators Appendix Two: Recipients BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX Urban Daughters, Their Opportunities, And London Wills -- Testators And Their Influence In Late Medieval London -- Prospects Of Power : Inheriting Real Estate And Real Opportunity -- Envisioning Daughters' Lives Through Movable Legacies -- Reinterpreting Daughters' Economic Power In Late Medieval London. By Kate Kelsey Staples. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [187]-200) And Index. From an examination of medieval London's Husting wills, Daughters of London offers a new framework for considering urban women's experiences as daughters. The wills reveal daughters equipped with economic opportunities through bequests of real estate and movable property.