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The Legitimacy of Bastards: The Place of Illegitimate Children in Later Medieval England Hardcover – June 27, 2019

by Helen Matthews (Author)

4.2 10 ratings

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For the nobility and gentry in later medieval England, land was a source of wealth and status. Their marriages were arranged with this in mind, and it is not surprising that so many of them had mistresses and illegitimate children. John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, married at the age of twenty to a ten-year-old granddaughter of Edward I, had at least eight bastards and a complicated love life.

In theory, bastards were at a considerable disadvantage. Regarded as ‘filius nullius’ or the son of no one, they were unable to inherit real property and barred from the priesthood. In practice, illegitimacy could be less of a stigma in late medieval England than it became between the sixteenth and late twentieth centuries. There were ways of making provision for illegitimate offspring and some bastards did extremely well in the church, through marriage, as soldiers, and a few even succeeding to the family estates.

The Legitimacy of Bastards is the first book to consider the individuals who had illegitimate children, the ways in which they provided for them and attitudes towards both the parents and the bastard children. It also highlights important differences between the views of illegitimacy taken by the Church and by the English law.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is interesting to note that Helen Matthews studied medieval history at UCL and Royal Holloway when a chance remark in a footnote inspired her to embark on the thesis on medieval bastards, on which "The Legitimacy of Bastards" is based. Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a one page Glossary, a fifty-nine pag Anex (Dramatis Personae), a five page Bibliography, and a five page Index, "The Legitimacy of Bastards" is certain to be an enduringly appreciated and valued addition to both community and academic library English Medieval History collections and supplemental studies lists. "
Midwest Book Review

"...informative and well researched... A great resource for those who want to learn more about the late medieval period and illegitimate children."
Adventures of a Tudor Nerd

About the Author

Helen Matthews studied medieval history at UCL and Royal Holloway. A chance remark in a footnote inspired her to embark on the thesis on medieval bastards, on which this book is based.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pen and Sword History (June 27, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 248 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1526716550
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1526716552
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.22 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,134,409 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5,007 in Royalty Biographies
- #5,694 in Historical British Biographies
- #7,549 in England History

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Helen Matthews

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Helen Matthews writes on history and travel. She has a PhD in medieval history and has written a history of bastards in medieval England, as well as co-authoring two guidebooks with her husband, Neil.

Their latest guidebook 52 Heritage Weekends was shortisted in the 'Best Guide' category of the 2023 Travel Media Awards.

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Rebecca Hill

Know your history!

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2020

Verified Purchase

This book was one that made me sit back and think! I found so much information that I had never considered! We know the side of the royals, they are well documented, but what about the landed gentry? Knights? There are so many different aspects of life that have not been expounded upon as much. This book delved into those shadows. What happens if you had bastard sons, but no legitimate? What about daughters?

These children, although accepted by their parents, were still considered born "on the wrong side of the sheets." While today, many will turn a blind eye, in medieval times, this was not the case. Illegitimate sons were barred from many types of inheritance, although there were some that found the loopholes.

Helen Matthews brings to light many of these children, their families, and the different aspects of their lives - many of which we may not know about. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learning about a different part of medieval history, one that is not often discussed, except for royal bastards.

This book is definitely worth the read! Grab it now!

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