Description
Book SynopsisDuring the Middle Ages, rape and abduction were understood together as forms of theft. This study of illicit sexuality in medieval England is the first to explore these overlapping offences, examining how women operated within the legal system and the impact this had on their lives.
Trade Review'… offers a rich analysis subdivided into topics that include rape, elopement, forced abduction, adultery, and false accusations … Dunn displays an admirable ability in scrupulous analysis of court records and legislation, attending to the interests of lawmakers as well as all potentially interested parties … Above all, one finishes this book wanting to hear a great deal more from Caroline Dunn.' Sara McDougall, The Medieval Review
'Drawing on an impressive selection of primary sources, Caroline Dunn's Stolen Women in Medieval England … examines male control and female agency through an investigation of several different types of sexual offenses … this book lays a strong groundwork for further review of female agency in the Middle Ages.' Rutgers Book Review Journal
'The strength of Dunn's study lies in her cogent analysis of sources and how she connects this evidence to changes in the legal statutes and culture in England … [it] offers new insights on the crimes of rape and abduction as well as the clever ways in which the laity maneuvered in and out of marital unions.' Medieval Feminist Forum
'Stolen Women offers exceptional thoroughness, subtlety, and precision and will be hard to replace as the new standard work on ravishment in later medieval English law.' Kim M. Phillips, Speculum
Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Laws and legal definitions; 2. Rape; 3. Abduction and forced marriage; 4. Elopement abductions; 5. Adultery; 6. Retaliatory abductions and malicious legal proceedings; Conclusion; Appendix I: ravishment legislation; Appendix II: sources of ravishment cases; Bibliography.
