When Gossips Meet: Women, Family, and Neighbourhood in Early Modern England

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Oxford University Press, 2003 - 398 pages
This book explores how women of the poorer and middling sorts in early modern England sought to make the best of their lives in a society that excluded or marginalized them in almost every sphere. It argues that networks of close friends ('gossips') provided invaluable moral and practical support, helping them to shape their own lives and to play an active role in the affairs of the local community.
 

Contents

1 Introduction
1
2 Patriarchy and the World of Gossips
26
The Experience of Marriage
69
4 Maidservants and the Politics of the Household
127
Female Disputes
185
Disputes with Men
225
Public and Political Life
267
8 Recreation Religion and Female Culture
320
9 Conclusion
374
Bibliography of Manuscript Sources
383
Index
386
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About the author (2003)

Bernard Capp is a Professor of History, University of Warwick.

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