A history of female alesellers in south west England, 1550-1700

This doctoral project will explore the ways seventeenth century alewives negotiated cultural stereotypes to effectively run key institutions in their communities. Framed by these stereotypes, it will examine the extent to which ale-selling was a gendered experience. For instance, what were the risks and rewards of selling ale, and how did this differ from the male experience? The project will seek to unearth the ways an alewife's occupational identity might affect her personal relationships with male patrons and their wives, as well as the other men and women in the rural community. Did they, as Wade's Reformation implored, 'take her not for a friend'? In small communities where reputation reined and social alliances had the power to send one to (or save one from) the gallows, how might this have affected an aleseller's lifestyle? Such questions have the potential to be informative beyond their immediate remit: as ale-selling was a mainstream occupation with practitioners of varying wealth, this doctoral project will ultimately serve as a case study that can inform wider discussions on women's work and social standing
in the seventeenth century.