Where There's a Will: Gendered Patterns of Inheritance in Early Modern Oxfordshire
Date
2020-05
Authors
Kahre-Campbell, Lauren
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This study utilizes will and administrative bonds from early modern Oxfordshire, 1535-
1700, to examine the relationship between gender, patterns of inheritance, and the
bequests found in wills. This thesis argues that patriarchal cultural attitudes and societal
norms in early modern England shaped both individual testators’ decisions in their wills
and Oxfordshire’s overall inheritance patterns. A system of primogeniture and patriarchal
inheritance practices drove the testamentary decisions of patriarchs and limited the types
property available to women. As a result, wills and inheritance acted as an arena for
perpetuating patriarchal attitudes and norms. Despite this, women will authors found
ways to exercise power over goods and heirs within their wills, leaving bequests to a
wide network of family, neighbors, godchildren, friends, and servants. This thesis uses
gender as a historiographical methodology by analyzing how the perceived differences in
the sexes contributed to the social order in early modern England and consequently
shaped the power dynamics between men and women. This thesis explores the legal
implications of patriarchy for women and will making, as well as the participation of
women in the inheritance process. This study also examines gendered patterns of
inheritance in early modern wills by analyzing the differences between men and women’s
bequests, as well as the impact of patriarchal legal structures beyond wills on the
inheritance process.
Description
Keywords
Early modern, Women, Wills
Citation
Kahre-Campbell, L. (2020). <i>Where there's a will: Gendered patterns of inheritance in early modern Oxfordshire</i> (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.