The Role of Women During the English Civil War

When Did You Last See Your Father by William Frederick Yeames

The image above is probably typical of the view we have of the role of women during the English Civil War; it's easy to assume they stayed at home, demure, and vulnerable to the whims of powerful men. While it's true all the most famous protagonists were men, women did not, could not, stay out of such a widespread and divisive conflict and, either through choice or necessity, made a significant contribution. Some joined political movements such as the Levellers, others took on jobs previously filled by men. If you'd like to know more about what they did, and why, have a browse through the following links:

• Biography of Elizabeth Lilburne
• The Good Old Cause (about the Levellers)
• The Leveller Women
• Women's Lives in the British Civil Wars
• Radical Women During the English Revolution

Historical tv for the weekend

Just spotted the Devil's Whore on YouTube. If you haven't seen it it's well worth a look! There are a number of historical inaccuracies in the series, but it does give a good overview of the lives of women during the Civil War.

ps: I wrote a short review of the series which you can find here.