Women's Worlds in Seventeenth Century England: A Sourcebook

Women's Worlds in Englandpresents a unique collection of source materials on women's lives in sixteenth and seventeenth century England. The book introduces a wonderfully diverse group of women and a series of voices that have rarely been heard in history, from a poor Devon servant-girl to Queen Anne herself. Drawing on unpublished, archival materials, the book explores women's: * experiences of work, sex, marriage and motherhood * beliefs and spirituality * political activities * relationships * mental worlds In a time when few women could write, this book reveals the multitude of ways in which their voices have left traces in the written record, and deepens our understanding of women's lives in the past.

Patricia Crawford is Professor of History at the University of Western Australia Laura Gowing is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Hertfordshire