Noblewomen: the first ladies!
by Jan-Olov von Wowern
The role and position of noblewomen in later medieval Europe is a subject
about which comparatively little has been written. The noblewomen,
particularly those of the higher nobility, usually found themselves in a
situation where it was taken for granted they would marry and strengthen
the position of the family by forming a union with a man of similar (or
better) standing. Then, as now, the importance of the continuation of the
family line was a constant concern. For gentlemen who were "upwardly
mobile" the marriage to a noblewoman of high standing could be the
means of getting estates and allies.
It was not unusual to find noblewomen holding and inheriting land and
estates. She could have inherited them from her father, brother or a
deceased husband, and in many regions this was fully accepted. The male
line in a noble family could become extinct for a number of reasons: the
sons could die on the battlefield, they could die of one of many diseases,
some would go into the Church and be celibate, etc. So in many cases the
continuation of the entire family depended on the succession through the
female line, which (certainly in the case of absence of male heirs) was
usually accepted.
There was the problem with the dowries, and to avoid the breaking up of
the estates there was during the later 13th century and onwards a growing
emphasis on male primogeniture, that is, the firstborn son inherited the
estates (and where appropriate the title that went with it). The dower
became more and more restricted over time during the later Middle Ages,
until they were finally abolished and became more of a symbol. This helped
to stop the dispersal of the estates outside the original family.
Another important factor in the growing emphasis on male primogeniture was
the forming of political alliances through marriages. When arranged
marriages became increasingly important as a tool in the political
formation of Europe, high social status by birth (and the benefits it
brought along) was considered a powerful asset. But many noblewomen were
not passive spectators, though the emphasis on the male line of descent
meant that their financial and political activities of more and more
depended on their male relatives: husband, father, sons, brothers. In many
cases, however, the noblewoman was not completely subsumed in the families
of her male relatives. There is evidence that noblewomen continued to use
the seals, surnames and titles that was theirs by right of birth even
after getting married.
In my own family tree I have found several examples of the importance of
the role of noblewomen. In some cases my ancestors married a lady from
another important noble family, and this was recorded as a significant
financial and political alliance. In other cases a lady from our family
had a successful career of her own (e.g. as Abbess of a convent). In many
cases the coat-of-arms of a noblewoman who married into our family was
recorded and quartered in the arms of that branch of the family.
About the Author
Jan-Olov von Wowern lives in Stockholm,
Sweden, and is the head of the Swedish branch of the von Wowern family,
dating back to its founder who was born around 1090 and made a Marquis in
1141. He is active in European charitable and nobiliary work. Visit his
page at
http://www.findyournobleancestors.com
and download a FREE chapter from his book.
Copyright
2005 All Rights Reserved
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