Aristocratic Family And Marriage In The Late Middle Ages
Robert Williams
Professor Neulander
HIST 103-13
5 December 2013
Function of the Aristocratic Family and Marriage in the Late Middle Ages
Marriage and function of aristocratic families such as the Pastons in the late Middle Ages was key to the success of the family. Marriages in the later middle ages were important to the status of families during this time period due to the importance of both the husband and wife being involved in family affairs, from economics to things that need to be done in day to day life. Marriage also functioned very differently, instead of being used as a binding of two people that love each other, it was primarily used as a something to be entered into for social and material reasons. Due to the political factors …show more content…
that were parts of marital arrangement the woman usually did not have much of a choice in who she would be married to. These factors led to the function of aristocratic families like the Pastons to be very deviant from the typical family function we see in today’s society.
All members of the family such as the wife and children, as well as vassals, or servants, played important roles in the affairs of the family dealing with social, political, or economic issues. Different Members of the family would take on different responsibilities in their lives and be expected to uphold these responsibilities because everyone in the family had their own set issues to deal with. Love also played an important role in family relationships, but again functioned differently than what we observe today. Many times love would develop after a marriage because couples usually did not have a choice in the arrangement, but love still played a large role in the husband and wife relationship as well as other family relationships because it developed trust and caring within members of the family, making the bonds between them much stronger. Aristocratic families such as the Pastons functioned with every member of the family taking different responsibilities with many different factors coming into the equation. Marriage and love as well as family responsibilities all …show more content…
played a very important role in the functioning of an aristocratic family and were a central strength in keeping the family affairs running smoothly.
Family members of the Paston’s aristocratic family took the role of different responsibilities in their lives that they were expected to withhold.
Every member of the family was involved, from the husband and wife, to children and servants. First, the wife played a very important role in the functioning of the family. Often single handedly running the manor, the women of aristocratic families made a significant contribution to the economy of the family. In The Paston Letters the wife was crucial to the functioning of the family’s affairs because the husband was frequently away on other important business. The wife was often expected to deal with the management of acres of land, containing crops, animals, hundreds of employees, and their home. In The Paston Letters, Margret Paston writes to John Paston I, “I recommend me to you, desiring heartily to hear of your welfare . . . and I thank you for the letter that ye sent me” (5). This quote shows that the lady of the family, Margret Paston, was left to take care of the manor while her husband was away on some business for a long period of time, portraying why the Paston family conversed via letters about important business in the family. Margret Paston had many responsibilities when she was left in charge while her husband was away, one of which was sorting out complaints and legal disagreements in the local court. She was also in charge of the important task of organizing the defense of the estate if it were to be attacked.
The list of responsibilities of Marget go on, she was subject to taking care of business in a household of hundreds of people, which as you can imagine comes with many duties. Aside from the lady of the estate and of any daughters she had, the estate consisted of a predominantly male population. There were a number of servants that took residence on the estate that had responsibilities that consisted of mostly domestic duties such as washing and cleaning, and many of the other male personnel were there purely for military duties like guarding the estate from potential attackers. The children of the Paston’s played a very important role in the functioning of the family, frequently dealing directly with important affairs such as financial, religious, social, and political information. In letter one hundred and twenty-two, Margery Brews writes to John Paston III, “And I let you plainly understand that my father will no more money part withal in that behalf but 100 and 50 mark, which is right for the accomplishment of your desire” (235). This letter depicts a scenario in which a financial situation is taken care of showing the role that the children played in the overall functioning of the aristocratic families. The children of the Pastons often traveled running errands to converse with people that owed money or had information that was important to the family. In letter twenty-two William Paston II writes to John Paston, “Mine Lord Chancellor came not her sin I came to London, nor mine Lord of York. Mine Lord of Canterbury hath received his cross, and I was with him in the King’s chamber when he made homage” (41). This quote displays an event in which one of the Paston brothers was asked to look into some information and relay it back to John. The brothers and sons responsibilities greatly contributed to the functioning of the family as a whole, and served as a dire asset for collecting valuable information.
Love and marriage were also important in the function of aristocratic families such as the Pastons in the late Middle Ages and created the initial bond that held the family affairs together. During this time period marriage did not function as simply as two people loving each other, marriage was used as more of a political tool for social and material interest. Families like the Pastons strategically used marriage to gain money, status, and closer political ties with other noble families. Marriage itself also functioned very differently, women did not have much choice in who they would marry, and in most cases would not even meet their spouse until they were to be wed, marriage would also generally be at a very young age. In letter number one hundred twenty-four, Sir Thomas Brews writes to John Paston II, “touching a marriage with God’s grade to be concluded betwixt my said cousin your brother and my daughter Margery . . . nor may be till I have answer from you again of your good word” (238). This letter shows an example where it is clear that the marriage was arranged for gaining family ties, and in which the woman did not have a choice in who she would marry. Men, on the other hand, had a small say in who they would marry due to political influence in the family. In letter one hundred and two John Paston III writes to John Paston II, “most bounteous knight, my lord the Earl of Arran, which hath married the King’s sister of Scotland . . . with whom I pray you to be acquainted as you seemeth best” (210). The quote from this letter portrays that marriage was generally chosen to strengthen political ties, in this case the King of Scotland. The marriage would be arranged to gain interest with other noble families and potentially even material gain in the long run. However, love was not completely irrelevant in marriage. Love did play a role in marriages in the late Middle Ages it just was not initial, but instead developed after the marriage had occurred. Even if love did not result from a marriage, couples usually developed a strong friendship of some kind. Not only did love have an effect on marriage but on any family relationship. An example of this in The Paston Letters is in event in which Margaret writes to John, “I pray you that ye wear the ring with the image of Saint Margaret that I sent you . . . Ye have left me such a remembrance that maketh me to think upon you both day and night when I would sleep (5). This quote from letter number five shows that Margaret has developed a love for John Paston and is worried about his safety while he is away taking care of his business. Love played a role in creating a good and successful family because it forged a much stronger bond between the family members that created trust which is the most important aspect of a good marriage or relationship. In the Paston family John and Margaret could trust each other to take care of their responsibilities, which in turn made the functioning of the family much more successful. In letter number twelve Elizabeth Clere writes to John Paston, “Trusty and well beloved cousin, I commend me to you, desiring to hear of your welfare and good speed in your matter” (23). This quote from letter twelve displays that love is important in any family relationship and creates trust within the family allowing the family to function with more strength. Elizabeth Clere clearly states that she loves and trusts John, showing why it is important to have love in any family relationship to aristocratic families during this time period.
The aristocratic family during the late Middle Ages functioned with great political, social, and material interest in every aspect of their lives. This caused a period of political turmoil with noble families fighting over control. The Paston Letters display key elements that allow us to have first-hand accounts of what life was like and how aristocratic families such as the Pastons functions during this time period. The successful function of the Paston family could be greatly attributed members of the family and servants performing their own specific responsibilities, this kept the family affairs and estate running smoothly. Everyone that lived on the estate, or that was in the family had an important role in the social, political, and economic status of the aristocratic family and it could not function successfully if people did not fulfill their role. Love and marriage also played a very important role in the overall function of aristocratic families like the Pastons. Marriage was used as a strategy by aristocratic families for social and material gain, often strengthening ties with other noble families, therefor the couple usually did not have a say in who they would be married to. Love did not usually become a factor in getting married until it had a chance to develop after the marriage, but in the long run would make it much more successful, strengthening bonds within the family and ultimately creating trust within any family relationship. In letter number three Margaret Paston writes to John Paston, “I recommend me to you, desiring heartily to hear of your welfare” (3), displaying that love did develop within the Paston family which was a major strength. Family responsibilities, Marriage, and love were all key elements that contributed to the successful function of aristocratic families during the late Middle Ages.
Works Cited
Fenn, John, and A Ramsay. Paston Letters: Original Letters, Written During the Reigns of Henry VI, Edward IV, and Richard III. London: H.G. Bohn, 1859. Print.
Professor Neulander
HIST 103-13
5 December 2013
Function of the Aristocratic Family and Marriage in the Late Middle Ages
Marriage and function of aristocratic families such as the Pastons in the late Middle Ages was key to the success of the family. Marriages in the later middle ages were important to the status of families during this time period due to the importance of both the husband and wife being involved in family affairs, from economics to things that need to be done in day to day life. Marriage also functioned very differently, instead of being used as a binding of two people that love each other, it was primarily used as a something to be entered into for social and material reasons. Due to the political factors …show more content…
that were parts of marital arrangement the woman usually did not have much of a choice in who she would be married to. These factors led to the function of aristocratic families like the Pastons to be very deviant from the typical family function we see in today’s society.
All members of the family such as the wife and children, as well as vassals, or servants, played important roles in the affairs of the family dealing with social, political, or economic issues. Different Members of the family would take on different responsibilities in their lives and be expected to uphold these responsibilities because everyone in the family had their own set issues to deal with. Love also played an important role in family relationships, but again functioned differently than what we observe today. Many times love would develop after a marriage because couples usually did not have a choice in the arrangement, but love still played a large role in the husband and wife relationship as well as other family relationships because it developed trust and caring within members of the family, making the bonds between them much stronger. Aristocratic families such as the Pastons functioned with every member of the family taking different responsibilities with many different factors coming into the equation. Marriage and love as well as family responsibilities all …show more content…
played a very important role in the functioning of an aristocratic family and were a central strength in keeping the family affairs running smoothly.
Family members of the Paston’s aristocratic family took the role of different responsibilities in their lives that they were expected to withhold.
Every member of the family was involved, from the husband and wife, to children and servants. First, the wife played a very important role in the functioning of the family. Often single handedly running the manor, the women of aristocratic families made a significant contribution to the economy of the family. In The Paston Letters the wife was crucial to the functioning of the family’s affairs because the husband was frequently away on other important business. The wife was often expected to deal with the management of acres of land, containing crops, animals, hundreds of employees, and their home. In The Paston Letters, Margret Paston writes to John Paston I, “I recommend me to you, desiring heartily to hear of your welfare . . . and I thank you for the letter that ye sent me” (5). This quote shows that the lady of the family, Margret Paston, was left to take care of the manor while her husband was away on some business for a long period of time, portraying why the Paston family conversed via letters about important business in the family. Margret Paston had many responsibilities when she was left in charge while her husband was away, one of which was sorting out complaints and legal disagreements in the local court. She was also in charge of the important task of organizing the defense of the estate if it were to be attacked.
The list of responsibilities of Marget go on, she was subject to taking care of business in a household of hundreds of people, which as you can imagine comes with many duties. Aside from the lady of the estate and of any daughters she had, the estate consisted of a predominantly male population. There were a number of servants that took residence on the estate that had responsibilities that consisted of mostly domestic duties such as washing and cleaning, and many of the other male personnel were there purely for military duties like guarding the estate from potential attackers. The children of the Paston’s played a very important role in the functioning of the family, frequently dealing directly with important affairs such as financial, religious, social, and political information. In letter one hundred and twenty-two, Margery Brews writes to John Paston III, “And I let you plainly understand that my father will no more money part withal in that behalf but 100 and 50 mark, which is right for the accomplishment of your desire” (235). This letter depicts a scenario in which a financial situation is taken care of showing the role that the children played in the overall functioning of the aristocratic families. The children of the Pastons often traveled running errands to converse with people that owed money or had information that was important to the family. In letter twenty-two William Paston II writes to John Paston, “Mine Lord Chancellor came not her sin I came to London, nor mine Lord of York. Mine Lord of Canterbury hath received his cross, and I was with him in the King’s chamber when he made homage” (41). This quote displays an event in which one of the Paston brothers was asked to look into some information and relay it back to John. The brothers and sons responsibilities greatly contributed to the functioning of the family as a whole, and served as a dire asset for collecting valuable information.
Love and marriage were also important in the function of aristocratic families such as the Pastons in the late Middle Ages and created the initial bond that held the family affairs together. During this time period marriage did not function as simply as two people loving each other, marriage was used as more of a political tool for social and material interest. Families like the Pastons strategically used marriage to gain money, status, and closer political ties with other noble families. Marriage itself also functioned very differently, women did not have much choice in who they would marry, and in most cases would not even meet their spouse until they were to be wed, marriage would also generally be at a very young age. In letter number one hundred twenty-four, Sir Thomas Brews writes to John Paston II, “touching a marriage with God’s grade to be concluded betwixt my said cousin your brother and my daughter Margery . . . nor may be till I have answer from you again of your good word” (238). This letter shows an example where it is clear that the marriage was arranged for gaining family ties, and in which the woman did not have a choice in who she would marry. Men, on the other hand, had a small say in who they would marry due to political influence in the family. In letter one hundred and two John Paston III writes to John Paston II, “most bounteous knight, my lord the Earl of Arran, which hath married the King’s sister of Scotland . . . with whom I pray you to be acquainted as you seemeth best” (210). The quote from this letter portrays that marriage was generally chosen to strengthen political ties, in this case the King of Scotland. The marriage would be arranged to gain interest with other noble families and potentially even material gain in the long run. However, love was not completely irrelevant in marriage. Love did play a role in marriages in the late Middle Ages it just was not initial, but instead developed after the marriage had occurred. Even if love did not result from a marriage, couples usually developed a strong friendship of some kind. Not only did love have an effect on marriage but on any family relationship. An example of this in The Paston Letters is in event in which Margaret writes to John, “I pray you that ye wear the ring with the image of Saint Margaret that I sent you . . . Ye have left me such a remembrance that maketh me to think upon you both day and night when I would sleep (5). This quote from letter number five shows that Margaret has developed a love for John Paston and is worried about his safety while he is away taking care of his business. Love played a role in creating a good and successful family because it forged a much stronger bond between the family members that created trust which is the most important aspect of a good marriage or relationship. In the Paston family John and Margaret could trust each other to take care of their responsibilities, which in turn made the functioning of the family much more successful. In letter number twelve Elizabeth Clere writes to John Paston, “Trusty and well beloved cousin, I commend me to you, desiring to hear of your welfare and good speed in your matter” (23). This quote from letter twelve displays that love is important in any family relationship and creates trust within the family allowing the family to function with more strength. Elizabeth Clere clearly states that she loves and trusts John, showing why it is important to have love in any family relationship to aristocratic families during this time period.
The aristocratic family during the late Middle Ages functioned with great political, social, and material interest in every aspect of their lives. This caused a period of political turmoil with noble families fighting over control. The Paston Letters display key elements that allow us to have first-hand accounts of what life was like and how aristocratic families such as the Pastons functions during this time period. The successful function of the Paston family could be greatly attributed members of the family and servants performing their own specific responsibilities, this kept the family affairs and estate running smoothly. Everyone that lived on the estate, or that was in the family had an important role in the social, political, and economic status of the aristocratic family and it could not function successfully if people did not fulfill their role. Love and marriage also played a very important role in the overall function of aristocratic families like the Pastons. Marriage was used as a strategy by aristocratic families for social and material gain, often strengthening ties with other noble families, therefor the couple usually did not have a say in who they would be married to. Love did not usually become a factor in getting married until it had a chance to develop after the marriage, but in the long run would make it much more successful, strengthening bonds within the family and ultimately creating trust within any family relationship. In letter number three Margaret Paston writes to John Paston, “I recommend me to you, desiring heartily to hear of your welfare” (3), displaying that love did develop within the Paston family which was a major strength. Family responsibilities, Marriage, and love were all key elements that contributed to the successful function of aristocratic families during the late Middle Ages.
Works Cited
Fenn, John, and A Ramsay. Paston Letters: Original Letters, Written During the Reigns of Henry VI, Edward IV, and Richard III. London: H.G. Bohn, 1859. Print.