Working Life of Women in the Seventeenth Century

This study delves into the everyday labour of English women during the seventeenth century, drawing on guild accounts, court records, and household papers to reveal how the majority of women earned their livelihoods. By setting aside abstract theory, the author lets the evidence speak for itself, offering a clear picture of a world often hidden from traditional histories.

Readers will discover the diverse occupations that women pursued—from textile production and market vending to apprenticeships in craft workshops and long‑term service in urban households. The work highlights the transitional nature of the period, bridging the Elizabethan era and the changes of the eighteenth century, and shows how women’s economic roles were intertwined with family and community life.

While acknowledging the fragmentary nature of surviving records, the author carefully pieces together a mosaic that informs both historical scholarship and contemporary discussions of labour. A forthcoming volume promises to extend the inquiry to education and motherhood, completing the broader portrait of women’s lives.