Baronial women in thirteenth-century Lincolnshire

In thirteenth-century Lincolnshire, women were at the heart of baronial families. This thesis explores the lives of women from five baronial families in Lincolnshire: the baronies of Ashby, Brattleby, Folkingham, Redbourne and Tattershall. Extensive records have survived which highlight the importance of baronial women within estate administration and religious patronage. Charters and seals provide an insight into a woman’s sense of identity and how she wished her identity to be displayed to others. Baronial women were also important members of the local society and were able to attract neighbours and tenants to their affinities which I have shown with the affinity of Mary de Neville. The chapters of this study are structured to take you through the life-cycle of a baronial woman starting from her marriage and going through to her widowhood. This highlights the different roles and activities which baronial women were able to participate in and how her agency changed depending on the female life-cycle. This study provides an important glimpse into the lives of baronial women, a significant group within the aristocracy who have been curiously ignored by scholars.