The British Library’s Medieval Women: In Their Own Words exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the lives of medieval women through over 140 fascinating artifacts. One of the exhibition’s curators shares five standout pieces that reveal the resilience, creativity, and influence of women in the Middle Ages.
By Sandra Alvarez
The British Library’s latest exhibition, Medieval Women: In Their Own Words, showcases over 140 items that explore the extraordinary world of medieval women between 1100–1500. Highlights include a fifteenth-century birthing girdle covered in protective prayers, The Book of Margery Kempe (c. 1438), the only surviving copy of the earliest known autobiography in English, The Book of the Queen by Christine de Pizan (1364–1431), and many more unique pieces that highlight the important contributions women made in medieval society.
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The exhibition is split into three categories: Private Lives (touching on marriage, family, healthcare, and the home), Public Lives (which focuses on women at work, writing, and political activities), and Spiritual Lives (detailing the importance of religious life and the roles women played as nuns, mystics, musicians, and more).
Julian Harrison, Medieval Manuscripts Curator, and co-curator of the Medieval Women exhibition talking about the thirteenth century 5 meter long scroll of Lucy of Hedingham. Photo by Sandra Alvarez
I had the chance to speak to Julian Harrison, the British Library’s Curator of Pre-1600 Historical Manuscripts, who is also one of the lead curators on Medieval Women. Here are some of his favourite pieces on display:
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The Mortuary Roll of Lucy of Hedingham, England, 1225–1230
Detail of the scroll depicting the death of Lucy of Hedingham, the first prioress. Photo by Sandra Alvarez
Lucy was the first Prioress of Hedingham, which was exclusively for women. After Lucy died, the Benedictine nuns of Castle Hedingham Priory sent a letter reporting her death – which is this roll. The letter is taken around England to many nunneries and monasteries (over 122 in total!). En route, at every religious house, someone writes a prayer for her. If you look carefully, every single one is written in a different hand. This remarkable roll begins with a depiction of Lucy’s funeral and continues on with the original letter written by Lucy’s successor, Agnes, praising her and grieving her passing, followed by the numerous messages in memory of Lucy.
A Letter from Joan of Arc
Letter of Joan of Arc to citizens of Riom – Ville de Riom, Archives municipales AA 33. Photo by Sandra Alvarez
This letter, signed by Joan of Arc (c. 1412–1431), has never left the town of Riom since 1429. Written during the height of Joan’s military campaign to liberate France from English rule, it requests military aid from the citizens of Riom, urging them to join her cause. The letter reflects Joan’s role not only as a military leader but also as a deeply religious figure, convinced of her divine mission to save France. This rare document is one of the few surviving artifacts directly tied to her life, underscoring the enduring legacy of her short yet pivotal role in shaping French history.
Margaret’s Lion
Margaret’s Lion. The skull of a Barbary lion found under the Tower of London believed to be that ver same lion that accompanied Margaret as she traveled to England to marry Henry VI in 1444. Photo by Sandra Alvarez
When Margaret of Anjou (1430–1482) is brought to England in 1444 to marry King Henry VI of England, a record of the journey includes one rather curious payment: the upkeep of a lion. Along with the huge entourage sent to collect her, she was given a lion cub as a gift. It traveled with her to England and was to be kept in the Tower of London; at that time, there was a royal menagerie at the Tower. In the 1930s, an excavation found two lions in the moat of the Tower. Carbon dating determined that there is a very high likelihood that one of these skulls belonged to Margaret’s lion.
‘Crossbows and sugar’
Letter of Margaret Paston to her husband in 1448 requesting arms and sweets. Photo by Sandra Alvarez
This letter, written by Margaret of Paston in 1448, is interesting in that she writes to her husband, John, requesting ‘crossbows, arrows, poleaxes, and armour for the servants’ because their manor house had been seized by enemies. She was busy defending their home while he was in London, but she also decides to ask for almonds, sugar, and cloth to make gowns. Margaret made the best of a bad situation by making lemonade out of lemons!
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Slave certificate of a woman from Russia
Slave certificate of sale for a Russian girl, aged 22. She was sold in Venice to a Florentine merchant on February 7, 1450. Photo by Sandra Alvarez
This certificate of sale from Venice dates to February 7, 1450. It details the sale of Marta, a 22-year-old Russian woman, for 36 gold ducats (approximately £10,000) to one Angelo Gadi – a Florentine merchant. It is the sad document of a girl who was hundreds of miles away from home, being sold at a marketplace. It details her medical and health status, and that she may have been pregnant at one time. This was important because female slaves were expected to provide sexual services to their masters.
The British Library’s Medieval Women: In Their Own Words exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the lives of medieval women through over 140 fascinating artifacts. One of the exhibition’s curators shares five standout pieces that reveal the resilience, creativity, and influence of women in the Middle Ages.
By Sandra Alvarez
The British Library’s latest exhibition, Medieval Women: In Their Own Words, showcases over 140 items that explore the extraordinary world of medieval women between 1100–1500. Highlights include a fifteenth-century birthing girdle covered in protective prayers, The Book of Margery Kempe (c. 1438), the only surviving copy of the earliest known autobiography in English, The Book of the Queen by Christine de Pizan (1364–1431), and many more unique pieces that highlight the important contributions women made in medieval society.
The exhibition is split into three categories: Private Lives (touching on marriage, family, healthcare, and the home), Public Lives (which focuses on women at work, writing, and political activities), and Spiritual Lives (detailing the importance of religious life and the roles women played as nuns, mystics, musicians, and more).
I had the chance to speak to Julian Harrison, the British Library’s Curator of Pre-1600 Historical Manuscripts, who is also one of the lead curators on Medieval Women. Here are some of his favourite pieces on display:
The Mortuary Roll of Lucy of Hedingham, England, 1225–1230
Lucy was the first Prioress of Hedingham, which was exclusively for women. After Lucy died, the Benedictine nuns of Castle Hedingham Priory sent a letter reporting her death – which is this roll. The letter is taken around England to many nunneries and monasteries (over 122 in total!). En route, at every religious house, someone writes a prayer for her. If you look carefully, every single one is written in a different hand. This remarkable roll begins with a depiction of Lucy’s funeral and continues on with the original letter written by Lucy’s successor, Agnes, praising her and grieving her passing, followed by the numerous messages in memory of Lucy.
A Letter from Joan of Arc
This letter, signed by Joan of Arc (c. 1412–1431), has never left the town of Riom since 1429. Written during the height of Joan’s military campaign to liberate France from English rule, it requests military aid from the citizens of Riom, urging them to join her cause. The letter reflects Joan’s role not only as a military leader but also as a deeply religious figure, convinced of her divine mission to save France. This rare document is one of the few surviving artifacts directly tied to her life, underscoring the enduring legacy of her short yet pivotal role in shaping French history.
Margaret’s Lion
When Margaret of Anjou (1430–1482) is brought to England in 1444 to marry King Henry VI of England, a record of the journey includes one rather curious payment: the upkeep of a lion. Along with the huge entourage sent to collect her, she was given a lion cub as a gift. It traveled with her to England and was to be kept in the Tower of London; at that time, there was a royal menagerie at the Tower. In the 1930s, an excavation found two lions in the moat of the Tower. Carbon dating determined that there is a very high likelihood that one of these skulls belonged to Margaret’s lion.
‘Crossbows and sugar’
This letter, written by Margaret of Paston in 1448, is interesting in that she writes to her husband, John, requesting ‘crossbows, arrows, poleaxes, and armour for the servants’ because their manor house had been seized by enemies. She was busy defending their home while he was in London, but she also decides to ask for almonds, sugar, and cloth to make gowns. Margaret made the best of a bad situation by making lemonade out of lemons!
Slave certificate of a woman from Russia
This certificate of sale from Venice dates to February 7, 1450. It details the sale of Marta, a 22-year-old Russian woman, for 36 gold ducats (approximately £10,000) to one Angelo Gadi – a Florentine merchant. It is the sad document of a girl who was hundreds of miles away from home, being sold at a marketplace. It details her medical and health status, and that she may have been pregnant at one time. This was important because female slaves were expected to provide sexual services to their masters.
Medieval Women: In Their Own Words opens on October 25, 2024, and runs until March 2, 2025. Click here to learn more the exhibition.
Sandra Alvarez is one of the founders of Medievalists.net
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