‘I Haue Ben Crised and Besy’: Illness and Resilience in the Fifteenth-Century Stonor Letters

Deborah Ellen Thorpe

doi:10.1484/J.TMJ.5.108526

‘I Haue Ben Crised and Besy’: Illness and Resilience in the Fifteenth-Century Stonor Letters

Deborah Ellen Thorpe

Electronic Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The modern and medieval meanings of words reporting ill health often bear little resemblance to one another. This article compares the use of ‘diseased’ and ‘sick’ in the fifteenth-century Stonor family letters. It examines the word ‘crased’, which implies physical ill health most directly, but also suggests emotional, psychological, or spiritual distress in female family members especially. The article then turns to the practical implications of poor health, asking how and why it affected the day-to-day concerns of the Stonors and their associates. It uncovers compelling evidence for resilience in the face of many and competing calls of duty. Finally, the article presents unique palaeographical evidence for the impact of illness, where a correspondent is so ‘seke’ that he can scarcely hold his pen.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	85-108
Number of pages	24
Journal	The Mediaeval Journal
Volume	5
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1484/J.TMJ.5.108526
Publication status	Published - Feb 2016

Bibliographical note

© 2016, The Author(s). This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details. Consent letter for 6 month embargo only attached.

Keywords

history of emotions
palaeography
mental health
letter writing
disease
fifteenth century
history
medical humanities
Stonor family

Access to Document

10.1484/J.TMJ.5.108526

Illness and Resilience in the Fifteenth-Century Stonor Letters
© 2016, The Author(s). This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details. Consent letter for 6 month embargo only attached.
Submitted manuscript, 147 KB

Cite this

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title = "{\textquoteleft}I Haue Ben Crised and Besy{\textquoteright}: Illness and Resilience in the Fifteenth-Century Stonor Letters",

abstract = "The modern and medieval meanings of words reporting ill health often bear little resemblance to one another. This article compares the use of {\textquoteleft}diseased{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}sick{\textquoteright} in the fifteenth-century Stonor family letters. It examines the word {\textquoteleft}crased{\textquoteright}, which implies physical ill health most directly, but also suggests emotional, psychological, or spiritual distress in female family members especially. The article then turns to the practical implications of poor health, asking how and why it affected the day-to-day concerns of the Stonors and their associates. It uncovers compelling evidence for resilience in the face of many and competing calls of duty. Finally, the article presents unique palaeographical evidence for the impact of illness, where a correspondent is so {\textquoteleft}seke{\textquoteright} that he can scarcely hold his pen.",

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