What variables dictated the position of women in English society during the period 1066-1330?

INTRO: The key factors and variables during this period affecting women’s position were the family that they were born into, their marital status and societal position. These variables changed in importance and impact over this time, though overall women’s position did not alter substantially by 1330.FAMILY: The family of any one woman had a large role in their lives. The presumption was that daughters would marry and fulfil their roles as wives and mothers, and who they married was largely up to the family around them. Furthermore key in the aristocracy - Matilda of Scotland’s marriage to an English king was mainly thanks to a desire to combine the lines of Wessex and Normandy, so even if her family were not exhorting her to join in the bonds of holy matrimony, it was still valuable to others. Often added to strength of husband - see Stephen’s wife, Matilda, who’s descent from Wessex added to his claim.MARITAL STATUS: If a landed husband was away, the wife held definite power, having the say on the running of the household. Even if they were still present, often still were granted wealth and influence, managing finance and warfare. For example, the Countess of Buchan defended Berwick Castle from Edward I and faced the hangman’s noose after for having done so. Widows often got a good deal - ran households when their husbands died, and gained land from their death by law. Widows were in charge of 10% of all land in England.SOCIETAL STATUS: Women peasants had a very active role in life alongside men - they worked as equals in the fields day in and day out, but had to reconcile this with sermons preaching obedience in church. In that church had increasingly limited influence as married priests on the decline, but church at heart of creating the cults of the virgin and Mary. Nunneries increasing in number over period. Aristocratic landed women on par with men in practical power but faced expectations of marriage and therefore would lose rights. King had control over who they married, took money from this - Magna Carta tried to limit this. Queens were often outsiders, only one during the period was ‘English’. Queens important as political relationships with foreign powers. Inherited important role in king’s court and were prominent, often played large roles in politics.CONCLUSION: For the bulk of the population in the peasantry, perception of women as inferior did not overwhelm daily life. In fact played key role alongside men in fields - in reality, societal status therefore the key variable, because the higher you went, more complex perceptions that were more demanding and specific.