Where to Find Women in Early Modern English Courts?

Much of the focus of historians is centered upon the fact that at common law a married woman's legal personality was subsumed into that of her husband.  The adage that husband and wife were one person in law and that person was the husband requires refinement.  This presentation looks at litigation in two courts, the Common Pleas and Prerogative Court of Canterbury, and illustrates that women played a robust role in English courts, particularly when their economic roles gave rise to disputes.