A Reformation of Remembrance? Devotional Practices of Female Testators in Lincolnshire 1509-1558

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Abstract

This article examines the pious and commemorative practices of
female testators in the Lincolnshire wills proved at the Prerogative
Court of Canterbury between 1509 and 1558, held at The National
Archives. Lincolnshire was one of the largest counties and formed part
of the largest diocese in the country, so it provides a geographically
extensive case study of female testamentary practice, important
because the rate of female testators is low. Wills provided an opportunity
for women to shape their pious identities and choose how they
wished to be remembered after their deaths. Changing government
policies impacted upon female attitudes towards remembrance and
material culture and the ideals of the new Protestant religion also
affected the nature of post-mortem charitable provision. The article
explores how far these wills can be used to trace changes in religious
attitudes across the period of the early Reformation in Lincolnshire.
Original languageEnglish
Article number4
Pages (from-to)176–189
Number of pages14
JournalMidland History
Volume44
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 27 Oct 2019

Keywords

  • Women; wills; Reformation; bequests; charity; Lincolnshire

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