This book presents original research on women who never married in early modern England. It reintroduces us to the category of marital status and to the significant ways it shaped the life experiences of early modern women. The book argues that to understand early modern women we need to de-center marriage and not accept the marital couple as the norm. It is both a socio-economic and cultural study of singlewomen. It reveals the importance of kinship for women without husbands and children as well as the significant roles that singlewomen played in their own kin groups as caretakers and provid ... More

This book presents original research on women who never married in early modern England. It reintroduces us to the category of marital status and to the significant ways it shaped the life experiences of early modern women. The book argues that to understand early modern women we need to de-center marriage and not accept the marital couple as the norm. It is both a socio-economic and cultural study of singlewomen. It reveals the importance of kinship for women without husbands and children as well as the significant roles that singlewomen played in their own kin groups as caretakers and providers. It examines the contributions of working and propertied singlewomen in early modern towns. It also traces the origins of the spinster and old maid stereotypes to the late 17th century, revealing how singlewomen became marginalized in Protestant English society. The book concludes by examining the writing of never-married women and what it reveals about their own views on singleness. While few women chose singleness outright, many women who never married lived full lives and made important contributions to their families and communities.