Unwelcome Legacies: The Effects of Wardship on Widows in the English Midlands, 1616–1625

Abstract

ABSTRACT When a tenant of Crown lands died leaving a minor heir, his widow became embroiled in litigation through the Court of Wards and Liveries to retain the custody of her child. This article investigates how women within the midland counties responded to the challenges presented to them by their husbands’ deaths between 1616 and 1625. It uncovers how widows fared at the hands of the court, how they fought to obtain the custody of their children, and how they responded to the pressures of debt. It explores the resistance they faced from male opponents, how they fashioned their arguments, and how their overtures were received in court. By investigating an almost untouched repository of material in The National Archives, London, it offers new insights into female litigation under James I whilst adding to ongoing scholarship about the role of women in the Westminster law courts in the early modern period.