Overview

""Seah's important book richly documents and deftly analyzes the complex household economies of three fifteenth-century queens consort of England who lived during a period of political and economic upheaval. This book, based on impressive meticulous research, is more than just a much-needed methodological model for studying queenly finances that fills a gap in the historiography of queenship. It is a powerful study of the intrinsic worth of a queen."" Theresa Earenfight, Professor Emerita of History, Seattle University. Late medieval queens required considerable economic and financial resources, to enable them to dispense patronage, exercise power and influence, and establish and maintain political and social networks. This book examines the nature and usage of these resources, via an in-depth study of the reigns of three queens consort from the second half of the fifteenth century in England - Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Woodville and Elizabeth of York - considering how the queens were supported in material terms, and their impact on the economic landscape of the period. It surveys in detail the economic assets available to these queens, including dower lands, monetary and non-monetary grants, and queens' gold, before moving on to a discussion of two major entities - households and affinities - which they needed to maintain. It both sheds light on individual queens and on broader questions of authority and agency in late-medieval English queenship.

Full Product Details

Author:   Michele L C Seah
Publisher:   Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Imprint:   Boydell & Brewer
Weight:   0.666kg
ISBN:  

9781837650460

ISBN 10:   1837650462
Pages:   298
Publication Date:   06 May 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Illustrations Acknowledgements Simplified Genealogy Abbreviations & Notes Introduction 1. The Queen's Resources Part I Lands and Estates: A Major Source of Revenue 2. Surveying the Queen's Lands 3. Managing the Queen's Lands Part II Using the Queen's Resources: The 'Service' Economy 4. The Queen's Household 5. The Queen's Affinity Conclusion Appendices 1 The Queens' Lands and Holdings - A Composite List 2 The Queens' Fee-farms - A Composite List 3 Extant Manorial Documents Consulted Bibliography Index

Reviews

Seah's important book richly documents and deftly analyzes the complex household economies of four fifteenth-century queens consort of England who lived during a period of political and economic upheaval. This book, based on impressive meticulous research, is more than just a much-needed methodological model for studying queenly finances that fills a gap in the historiography of queenship. It is a powerful study of the intrinsic worth of a queen. -- Theresa Eahrenfight, Professor Emerita of History, Seattle University

Author Information

MICHELE L. C. SEAH is a late medieval and early modern historian, affiliated with the University of Newcastle, Australia.

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