The Medieval Housewife
In The Medieval Housewife my aim is to bring to life some of the more ordinary people from the Middle Ages. Kings, lords and knights are found on almost every page of history, but I wanted to put the spotlight on the mothers, wives, sisters and servants who worked so hard, often with little recognition. This is a ‘popular’ rather than an academic history book; a stepping-stone for readers who might take to more in-depth study, or else simply a good read with nice pictures to enjoy on a winter’s evening.
How much has your MA helped you to write this book?
The subject of my MA was medieval medicine – barely touched on in this book – but I did have to learn how to carry out in-depth research and how to read medieval handwriting, both of which helped with ‘Medieval Housewife’. Also, rummaging around in various medieval documents, the odd little gem will come to light, unexpectedly, such as the super little image of the poor old woman on the back cover.
What appeals to you most about the history of medieval housewives?
I admire them so much. Quite how they managed all their daily chores, childcare, working in the fields or workshop, I’ll never know. Pregnancy was an added complication for many. I feel I’ve done a fair day’s work if I do the washing in the machine, cook a meal on the gas hob and in the microwave, type a few thousand words on the PC and give a lecture, travelling to the venue swiftly and in comfort. I wouldn’t last a week without modern technology but they had to do everything by hand, starting from scratch.
You were born in London, so what took you to Kent?
My parents moved from Chelsea to Northfleet, in Kent, when I was small. Apparently, the pea-souper fogs of the 1950s were not good for my health. I didn’t have any say in the matter, though I may have been the cause of the move. I love living in Kent – it is my ‘home’ – but being close to London is a bonus, especially for doing research at the British Library, the Guildhall and Wellcome Libraries.
Why have you chosen to teach adults rather than children?
My teaching career began with reception class infants; then I taught at college, passing on my experience to sixteen to twenty-five-year-olds who were training as teaching assistants. However, I was becoming disabled and had to move away from the practical aspects of teaching. My enthusiasm for history brought me a job with the Workers’ Education Association and I realised that mature adults make the most wonderful and rewarding students: they come to class because they want to learn. What more could a teacher ask? I also discovered that I learn a great deal from them during class discussions.
Please tell us about your research process for this book.
I suppose it began with writing a historical novel twenty-five years ago – it got written as a trilogy and two stand-alones. I wanted the background to be authentic so I took part in a research project for the Richard III Society, of which I’m a member. A group of us were transcribing a set of wills from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s archives, covering the dates of King Richard’s reign from 1483-85 and some years either side. I was given a selection of wills to work on – many from Kent and quite a few written by women – and I found them so intriguing, I went further than simply looking at their wills to finding out about their lives, where possible. This led to a one-off talk on medieval wives that led to a short five-week course on medieval women... which led to the book being written, based on my notes.
What did you learn while writing this book?
Apart from the obvious fact: that medieval women worked incredibly hard, I also came to realise how little women have changed in many ways. Like us, they worried about their family’s health, how to pay the bills and even what to wear on a Sunday to look their best without overdoing it. I think it is this kind of information which attracts modern readers like us, because we can relate to these matters; they are our worries too. Little things bring these women to life – like Margery Kemp who didn’t want her neighbours to be better dressed than she was in church, so she set up a horse-mill, to earn money to by nice clothes; she also suffered from post-natal depression and nursed her husband with dementia for ten years. The real women can be found in the dusty old documents, if you take the time to look.
What are the biggest differences in medieval times and now?
I think the pace of life is frantic now. We are all clock-watchers but then people measured their lives by the sun, the seasons and the church festivals. The working day was timed by the ringing of church bells, market trading began, town gates opened and closed, all according to the bells. Also, things were more personal. You spoke to others, face to face; letters were rare as few could read, although literacy levels were rising fast among the merchant class in the fifteenth century. No telephone, emails or texts. Shopping was a matter of haggling in the market for fresh produce, but for shoes or new pots and pans, you went to the cordwainer, potter or ironmonger and not only get them made to order but watch them being made in the workshop. Travel was a much slower affair: five day’s ride from London to York.
What is next for you?
I’m already approaching the 1st January 2015 deadline for my next hardback book: Dragon’s Blood and Willow Bark – the Mysteries of Medieval Medicine. I intend this to be another popular history book, but well referenced so it can be useful to academic students too. This book is making full use of my MA and I’m thinking of going on to do a PhD, perhaps. I also plan to write more magazine articles and maybe publish some fiction – that trilogy and two novels (including a medieval who-dunnit?) are still lying in the drawer, waiting. I may self-publish an e-book of short stories: Warriors – from Agincourt to Afghanistan – which is ready to upload, when I get around to it. As to the next serious history book, I have an idea or two, but as yet that’s all they are.