Women's Work in 17th Century London

Not Just the Tudors

In the late 17th century, young women arrived in London to earn their own living, with mistresses setting up shops and supervising female apprentices. Recent groundbreaking research reveals the extent to which single women, wives and widows established themselves in trades guilds both alongside - and separate to - men. 

In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Laura Gowing, author of Ingenious Trades, whose pioneering work sheds a new light on the critical importance and breadth of women's work at the heart of an emerging consumer culture.

Keep up to date with everything early modern, from Henry VIII to the Sistine Chapel with our Tudor Tuesday newsletter >

If you would like to learn more about history, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit >

To download, go to Android > or Apple store >

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada