Caroline M. Barron

Medieval London widows, 1300-1500

Medieval London Widows, 1300-1500 shows that it is possible to expand the repertoire of examples of medieval women with personalities and individuality beyond the well-known triad of Margaret Paston, Margery Kempe and the Wife of Bath. The rich documentation of London records allows these women to speak for themselves. They do so largely through their wills, which themselves exemplify the ability of widows to make choices and to order their lives.

England and the Low Countries in the late Middle Ages

This volume of papers given at the biennial fifteenth-century history conference held at Royal Holloway, University of London, in 1991 concentrates on relations between England and the Low Countries during the 150 years from the accession of Edward III in 1327 to the death of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, in 1477. Among the topics considered are aspects of trade between England and the Burgundian Netherlands, Flemish influence on English language and drama, the role of music at the Anglo-French conference at Amiens in 1392, the significance of Edward IVs stay with Louis de Gruthuyse at Bruges, the Flemish-influenced wall-paintings of Eton College, and consumer impact on the book trade in England and Burgundy. An introductory survey draws these threads together and considers the theme of political and cultural relations across the North Sea as a whole.