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"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.
List of contents
Illustrations Acknowledgements Simplified Genealogy Abbreviations & Notes Introduction
1. The Queen's Resources
Part I Lands and Estates: A Major Source of Revenue2. Surveying the Queen's Lands
3. Managing the Queen's Lands
Part II Using the Queen's Resources: The 'Service' Economy4. The Queen's Household
5. The Queen's Affinity
Conclusion
Appendices1 The Queens' Lands and Holdings - A Composite List 2 The Queens' Fee-farms - A Composite List 3 Extant Manorial Documents Consulted Bibliography Index
About the author
Michele L.C. Seah
Summary
"A much-needed methodological model for studying queenly finances that fills a gap in the historiography of queenship." Theresa Earenfight, Professor Emerita of History, Seattle University.
