Women Manorial Officers in Late Medieval England

Women served as manorial officers in late medieval England. Their appointments were generally based upon property-holding qualifications, and consequently the majority of officers were widows. Although examples may be found on manors across the country, there is insufficient evidence to indicate on what proportion of manors local custom allowed women to serve. Manorial offices were customary obligations: they were poorly remunerated and did not convey a degree of status beyond that already achieved by the holder’s property, nor did they provide the women officers with a gateway to wider political or administrative opportunities. However, these offices provided women with public authority to exercise control over their male contemporaries.