Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
Faculty/School
Faculty of Arts
First Advisor
Chris Nighman
Advisor Role
Supervisor
Abstract
This thesis discusses English nuns and laywomen's continual direct or indirect involvement in book production in the late Middle Ages and Early Modern period from approximately 1385 to 1600 CE. I define conventional women as women considered socially acceptable during their period who did not deviate overtly from the norm. To do so, I examine three specific case studies: Richard Beauchamp's wives and daughters' roles as patrons, the nuns of Syon Abbey's consumption and production of books, and Elizabeth Pickering, a widow who was one of the first female printers in England. Through these three case studies, I will demonstrate how English women consumed and actively participated in book culture throughout the late Middle Ages and Early Modern period. Demonstrating the breadth of women's engagement in book culture in this period is essential for these sources to provide insight into the level and variety of women's involvement.
Recommended Citation
Van Der Ahe, Katrina, "What Traces Did They Leave?: The Varied Involvement in Book Culture of Three ‘Conventional’ Premodern Englishwomen" (2024). Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). 2633.
https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/2633
Convocation Year
2024
Convocation Season
Spring