To successfully compile such an impressive variety of sources is a great achievement, perhaps even more so when done in a way that captures the supportive working relationship of the collaborators. This book does just that, drawing conceptually on Susanna Hoe's research in women's history, and Derek Roebuck's work on law and arbitration.
Women in disputes: a history of European women in mediation and arbitration is broad in scope, both geographically and chronologically. What initially appears as an extensive sourcebook is quickly revealed to be an invaluable compilation of both primary and secondary material. Extracts from a wide variety of sources, from court cases to letters, are complemented by contextual detail related to both individuals and their families, and also broader political, legal and social histories. Women from a range of backgrounds are considered, from mothers fighting for the rights of their children, and abbesses interceding in disputes between tenants, to landed widows acting as mediators in diplomatic quarrels. Women are shown in a huge variety of positions. There are young girls used as pawns of arbitration in marriage, on occasion promised to more than one family in efforts to prevent conflict. There are also maturing leaders maintaining the affairs of their husbands and attempting to reconcile political figures at home and abroad, and wronged wives fighting their husbands for maintenance with the support of official mediators. There is great diversity to these women and their experiences of mediation and arbitration.
Comprised of 11 substantive chapters, the work is divided largely by chronology, starting in Biblical times with Deborah and ending in eighteenth-century France. While at times these chapters and their conclusions can be a little difficult to follow, this is a direct result of the rich variety of sources used, and ultimately does not detract from the book as a whole. This work is made more accessible by the presence of a glossary of terms, and the use of bold type for the first mention of each woman's name is also helpful.
The first chapter considers the ancient world, where women are seen to be making use of arbitration despite the limitations placed on their ability to actively fulfil the role of arbitrators. The chapter covering Anglo-Saxon England gives examples of women ruling in the absence of their husbands. Queen Elfrida, for instance, is shown as a consort, mother and mediator who was paid for her advocacy and whose name carried great weight despite the limits to her official powers. Equally interesting is the case of Queen Emma, whose second marriage (to a Danish king) was to the direct benefit, and possibly even protection, of her children.
The entries covering Europe between 936 and 1471 include numerous women of interest, touching upon formal and informal arbitration and the role that religious women played in resolving conflicts within and beyond church communities. Agnes of Poitou's close relationship with Pope Gregory VII allowed her to mediate in a dispute between the pope and her son Henry. In a similar vein, Eleanor of Aquitaine was asked by Pope Anastasius IV for aid in the resolution of his dispute with her husband Henry Duke of Normandy. Isabeau of Bavaria, presented as a self-styled mediator, shows the extent of diplomatic influence a woman could achieve and Christine de Pisan's recognition of Isabeau is testament to the social influence this could bring. Women such as these are used to demonstrate the variety of resolution methods deployed by female mediators and the range of mediation roles they undertook.
Titled women are shown to have been more prevalent in mediation and arbitration in England, making use of their power and prestige. These women were often associated with the Crown and were commonly widows. Isabella de Forz, a widow who had no interest in remarriage and was the richest woman in the country by the age of 25, not only brought numerous criminal and civil cases to court but was asked by her tenants to intercede on their behalf. Acknowledging this prevalence of titled women, the authors include a chapter on untitled women involved in mediation during the medieval period. This chapter provides useful insight into married women's experience of mediation and arbitration and reveals how familiar ordinary people were with various means of dispute resolution, both formal and informal.
The chapter on women in fifteenth-century Malta is brief but takes advantage of the records left by Giacomo Zabbara. A much longer chapter follows covering the reign of Elizabeth I, which is presented as a golden age for dispute resolution. Numerous examples demonstrate the role that the Queen and the Privy Council played as mediators and arbitrators, which makes for a very interesting section. The role of women as arbitrators is also discussed, with examples offered such as that of Jane Mapples, who acted as a mediator in a slander case between two women. The proceeding chapter continues these themes and in part discusses petitions from widows and the accompanying stereotype of the ‘poor widow’.
The penultimate chapter considers some of the ample sources available for women in the eighteenth century, including diaries and justices’ notebooks. Space is given to women's involvement in cases concerning domestic abuse and rape, followed by a closer analysis of the Old Bailey and the Court of Chancery, among others. The chosen case study of Lady Anne Clifford in the final chapter is an interesting juxtaposition to the overarching theme of the book, focusing on a woman who sought to resist arbitration.
The value of this work is evident in its depth, ambition and self-awareness. It provides an interesting and detailed collection of women involved in a wide range of disputes and conflicts, and wonderfully displays their ingenuity and drive for resolution.
