Introduction

Abstract

The question which inspired this book was the extent to which marriage was an economic necessity for medieval woman. The period is almost devoid of letters written by women and autobiographical material. There are only few records which allowed women to be heard even second hand. This study attempts to overcome such difficulties by focusing on York and the country of Yorkshire from the early 14th to the early 16th century. Then it compares the experience of this region with other regions of later medieval Europe, notably early 15th-century Tuscany, and with England in the post-medieval era. It also suggests some patterns of continuity and change.