| Ale, Beer and Brewsters in England: Women's Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600 Contributor(s): Bennett, Judith M. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0195073908 ISBN-13: 9780195073904 Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA OUR PRICE: $207.90 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: November 1996 Annotation: Women brewed and sold most of the ale drunk in medieval England, but after 1350, men slowly took over the trade. By 1600, most brewers in London - as well as in many towns and villages - were male, not female. Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England investigates this transition, asking how, when, and why brewing ceased to be a women's trade and became a trade of men. Drawing on a wide variety of sources - such as literary and artistic materials, court records, accounts, and administrative orders - Judith Bennett vividly describes how brewsters (that is, female brewers) slowly left the trade. She tells a story of commercial growth, gild formation, changing technologies, innovative regulations, and finally, enduring ideas that linked brewsters with drunkenness and disorder. Examining this instance of seemingly dramatic change in women's status, Bennett argues that it included significant elements of continuity. Women might not have brewed in 1600 as often as they had in 1300, but they still worked predominantly in low-status, low-skilled, and poorly remunerated tasks. Using the experiences of brewsters to rewrite the history of women's work during the rise of capitalism, Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England offers a telling story of the endurance of patriarchy in a time of dramatic economic change. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Europe - Medieval - Social Science | Women's Studies - Business & Economics | Women In Business |
| Dewey: 338.476 |
| LCCN: 96001271 |
| Lexile Measure: 1450 |
| Physical Information: 0.86" H x 6.31" W x 9.55" (1.25 lbs) 280 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - Medieval (500-1453) - Chronological Period - 16th Century - Cultural Region - British Isles - Sex & Gender - Feminine |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Women brewed and sold most of the ale consumed in medieval England, but after 1350, men slowly took over the trade. By 1600, most brewers in London were male, and men also dominated the trade in many towns and villages. This book asks how, when, and why brewing ceased to be women's work and instead became a job for men. Employing a wide variety of sources and methods, Bennett vividly describes how brewsters (that is, female brewers) gradually left the trade. She also offers a compelling account of the endurance of patriarchy during this time of dramatic change. |