working life of women seventeenth century - School of Economics ...

234 CRAFTS AND TRADES CRAFTS AND TRADESTower Hill where shee also keepes a victualling houseunlicensed." One licensed by the Earl of Middlesex.Amongst those duly licensed are the names of a fewwidows. In Cordwainer Street Ward, there wasonly one Tavern, " kept by a widdowe whose deceasedhusband was bound prentice to a Vintener and sokept his taverne by vertue of his freedome of thatcompanye after his termes of apprentizhood expired."'Conclusion.The foregoing examination of the relation of womento the different crafts and trades has shown themoccupying an assured ~osition wherever the systemof family industry prevailed. While this lasted thedetachment of married women from business isnowhere assumed, but they are expected to assisttheir husband, and during his absence or after hisdeath to take his placeas head of the family and managerof the business.The economic position held by women dependedupon whether the business was carried on at home orelsewhere, and upon the possession of a small amountof capital. The wives of men who worked as journeymenon their masters' premises could not share theirhusbands' trade, and their choice of independentoccupations was very limited. The skilled women'strades, such as millinery and mantua-making, wereopen, and in these, though apprenticeship was usual,there is no reason to suppose that women who workedin them without having served an apprenticeship,were prosecuted; but as has been shown theapprenticeship laws were strictly enforced in otherdirections, and in some cases prevented women fromusing their domestic skill to earn their living.While women could share their husbands'trades they suffered little from these restrictions,but with the development of capitalistic organisationthe numbers of women who could find no outlet fortheir productive activity in partnership with theirhusbands were increasing and their opportunities forestablishing an independent industry did not keeppace ; on the contrary, such industry became evermore difficult. The immediate result is obscure, butit seems probable that the wife of the prosperouscapitalist tended to become idle, the wife of the skilledjourneyman lost her economic independence andbecame his unpaid domestic servant, while the wivesof other wage earners were driven into the sweatedindustries of that period. What were the respectivenumbers in each class cannot be determined, but itis probable that throughout the seventeenth centurythey were still outnumbered by the women whocould find scope for productive activity in theirhusbands' business.l S.P.D. ccl., zz, November 6, 1633.Lord Mayor and others to the Council.