Defamation and sexual reputation in Somerset, 1733-1850
This dissertation examines sexual reputation in the county of Somerset between 1733 and 1850. Its purpose is to explore plebeian sexual culture by tracing changes in the way plebeian men and women defined and defended their sexual reputations in an era of social, economic and cultural transition. In this period Somerset evolved from a prosperous and rapidly growing county with an economy based on agriculture and manufactures to a more static and primarily agrarian county; its major city, Bath, went from being a thriving resort to a retirement town. At the same time, the breakdown of the Puritan sexual consensus left a hiatus before the triumph of Victorianism during which a multiplicity of sexual cultures thrived. The defamation causes heard in the ecclesiastical courts of the diocese of Bath and Wells constitute the basic source for the study of plebeian sexual reputation. By the eighteenth century, these causes were concerned solely with sexual insults and the courts' clients were predominantly and increasingly married women drawn from the ranks of artisans and small tradespeople in the county's market towns and the city of Bath. The survival of this jurisdiction reflects a continuing need on the part of
Morris, Polly
DA Great Britain ; HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
Defamation and sexual reputation in Somerset, 1733-1850. This dissertation examines sexual reputation in the county of Somerset between 1733 and 1850. Its purpose is to explore plebeian sexual culture by tracing changes in the way plebeian men and women defined and defended their sexual reputations in an era of social, economic and cultural transition. In this period Somerset evolved from a prosperous and rapidly growing county with an economy based on agriculture and manufactures to a more static and primarily agrarian county; its major city, Bath, went from being a thriving resort to a retirement town. At the same time, the breakdown of the Puritan sexual consensus left a hiatus before the triumph of Victorianism during which a multiplicity of sexual cultures thrived. The defamation causes heard in the ecclesiastical courts of the diocese of Bath and Wells constitute the basic source for the study of plebeian sexual reputation. By the eighteenth century, these causes were concerned solely with sexual insults and the courts' clients were predominantly and increasingly married women drawn from the ranks of artisans and small tradespeople in the county's market towns and the city of Bath. The survival of this jurisdiction reflects a continuing need on the part of
sexual reputation somerset examines sexual reputation county somerset purpose_explore plebeian sexual culture trace_change way plebeian men_woman define sexual reputation era social_economic cultural_transition period somerset evolve prosperous rapidly grow county economy base agriculture manufacture static primarily agrarian county major city bath thrive resort town time breakdown puritan sexual consensus leave hiatus triumph multiplicity sexual culture thrive cause heard ecclesiastical_court diocese bath wells constitute basic source study plebeian sexual reputation cause concern solely sexual insult court client predominantly increasingly married woman draw rank artisan small county market_town city bath survival jurisdiction reflect continue need part