Parish Clergy Wives in Elizabethan England (St. Andrews Studies in Reformation History)

In Parish Clergy Wives in Elizabethan England , Anne Thompson demonstrates that the first ministers' wives are not entirely lost to the record and, in offering an insight into their lived experience, challenges many existing preconceptions about their role and reception. "In Parish Clergy Wives in Elizabethan England, Anne Thompson shifts the emphasis from the institution of clerical marriage to the people and personalities involved. Women who have hitherto been defined by their supposed obscurity and unsuitability are shown to have anticipated and exhibited the character, virtues, and duties associated with the archetypal clergy wife of later centuries. Through adept use of an extensive and eclectic range of archival material, Anne Thompson offers insights into the perception and lived experience of ministers' wives. In challenging accepted views on the social status of clergy wives and their role and reception within the community, new light is thrown on a neglected but crucial aspect of religious, social, and women's history"-- Provided by publisher In Parish Clergy Wives in Elizabethan England , Anne Thompson shifts the emphasis from the institution of clerical marriage to the people and personalities involved. Women who have hitherto been defined by their supposed obscurity and unsuitability are shown to have anticipated and exhibited the character, virtues, and duties associated with the archetypal clergy wife of later centuries. Through adept use of an extensive and eclectic range of archival material, this book offers insights into the perception and lived experience of ministers' wives. In challenging accepted views on the social status of clergy wives and their role and reception within the community, new light is thrown on a neglected but crucial aspect of religious, social, and women's history. Parish Clergy Wives in Elizabethan England Copyright Contents Acknowledgements List of Figures and Tables Abbreviations Introduction 1 Better to Marry than to Burn? Attitudes to Clerical Marriage among the Elizabethan Clergy 2 The Making of Clerical Marriages 3 'As Common as the Cartway'? The Social Status of Clergy Wives 4 'A Mirror of Virtue and Integrity': Expectations of the Elizabethan Clergy Wife 5 Clerical Marriage and Charitable Giving 6 The Reception of the Clergy Wife: Reactions to a Religious and Social Innovation Conclusion Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Bibliography Index Front Matter -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Acknowledgements -- Figures and Tables -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- Better to Marry Than to Burn? Attitudes to Clerical Marriage among the Elizabethan Clergy -- The Making of Clerical Marriages -- 'As Common as the Cartway'? The Social Status of Clergy Wives -- 'A Mirror of Virtue and Integrity': Expectations of the Elizabethan Clergy Wife -- Clerical Marriage and Charitable Giving -- The Reception of the Clergy Wife: Reactions to a Religious and Social Innovation -- Conclusion -- Back Matter -- Bibliography -- Index