Women,Credit,and Family Relationships in England,1300-1620

This article examines how women became involved in credit dealings and often in legal action as the result of family relationships between 1300 and 1620. It argues that women’s own personal standing and that of their family underlay their ability to function successfully in a world of financial credit that was based upon delayed obligations. It shows also that women displayed considerable knowledge of economic and legal systems as they attempted to pursue their rights or those of a relative. These observations force one to question any assumption that women’s position within the family was uniformly characterized by deference or reliance upon others.