Sexual slander and its social context in England, c. 1660-1700, with special reference to Cheshire and Sussex
A number of historians have studied the meanings of reputation in early modern English society through the medium of defamation cases in the church courts. More recent work has tended to focus on the gendering of participation in ecclesiastical litigation and the differences in the ways that men and women constructed and maintained their good names. This thesis takes a broader approach, and places defamation cases firmly in their legal and social context. The main focus of this thesis is a sample of defamation cases from the Chester consistory court in the later seventeenth century; this is supplemented by material from the church courts of Sussex and various secular tribunals in both Cheshire and Sussex. A discussion of the law forms an important part of this thesis for it shaped both the patterns of participation in litigation and the content of insults that were alleged. A central objective of this thesis is to discuss the complexity of the gendering of reputation in this period and to show that reputation was not as rigidly polarised around gender as has previously been thought. It explores the ways in which reputation was constructed for both men and women and relates this to both the sorts of social
Winch, Dinah
Defamation; Character; Reputation
Sexual slander and its social context in England, c. 1660-1700, with special reference to Cheshire and Sussex. A number of historians have studied the meanings of reputation in early modern English society through the medium of defamation cases in the church courts. More recent work has tended to focus on the gendering of participation in ecclesiastical litigation and the differences in the ways that men and women constructed and maintained their good names. This thesis takes a broader approach, and places defamation cases firmly in their legal and social context. The main focus of this thesis is a sample of defamation cases from the Chester consistory court in the later seventeenth century; this is supplemented by material from the church courts of Sussex and various secular tribunals in both Cheshire and Sussex. A discussion of the law forms an important part of this thesis for it shaped both the patterns of participation in litigation and the content of insults that were alleged. A central objective of this thesis is to discuss the complexity of the gendering of reputation in this period and to show that reputation was not as rigidly polarised around gender as has previously been thought. It explores the ways in which reputation was constructed for both men and women and relates this to both the sorts of social
sexual social_context england special_reference cheshire sussex number historian study meaning reputation early_modern_english society medium case church_court recent_work tend_focus participation ecclesiastical litigation difference way men_woman construct maintain good name take_broad place case firmly legal social_context main_focus sample case chester consistory court supplement material church_court sussex various secular cheshire sussex discussion law form important_part shape pattern participation litigation content insult allege central objective discus complexity reputation period show reputation rigidly polarise around gender previously_think explores_way reputation construct men_woman relates sort social