A ‘master-mistress’: revisiting the history of eighteenth-century wives

There is a dilemma at the heart of history eighteenth-century married women. Their ‘story’ so closely bound up with considerations gendered authority that, until recently, this has been primary, sometimes only, frame for analysis. It true that patriarchy conscripts and uses women to enable some men reach their full potential privileges. In doing, it simultaneously makes integral functioning society, economy, polity, writes them out story. are other ways tell wives, however. This review article revisits recent wives encourage all scholars place accounts, including histories do not define themselves predominantly as women’s or gender history. By summarising scholarship new directions in forefront feature shows centrality economics, culture, politics proposes time ‘mainstream’ incorporate, even centre, these findings order produce fuller understandings Britain its trans-global context.