Communication and power: noblewomen and letter-writing in the Elizabethan court

Amanda Nicole Svehla

This thesis tracks the transition of the English nobility from the medieval to the early modern period through three main changes: the centralization of court and state, the development of manners, and the expansion of education. This historical background sets the framework for the focus of the thesis: the ways the nobles, particularly noblewomen, used letter-writing to reshape court society and politics. Bess of Hardwick's, a prominent noblewoman in Elizabeth I's court, vast letter collection becomes the focal point for the remaining three topics of the thesis: the formal structure of letters, the creation and circulation of rumors, and the ritual of gift-giving as a form of contractual agreement. This thesis furthers the work of earlier court historians, because it gives noblewomen a sense of control and agency within the court, as well as provides a more gender-inclusive insight in the life of nobles. Letter-writing became the tool through which they maintained both public and private relationships, gained loyalty and future assistance to further their own motivations, and covertly discussed treasonous topics such as plots to overthrow the queen. While the use of letters proved beneficial for Bess of Hardwick and her line, the effects were more far reaching than has been previously studied. The transition that the English nobility underwent the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries under the Tudor monarchy. While Henry VII created a centralized court, Henry VIII created a standing court which forced nobles to spend most of their time at court, under his scrutiny. This heavy-handed rule prevented the nobles from conspiring against him or England. Later, under Elizabeth I's constantly moving court, nobles gained a sense of freedom to voice one's opinion in the form of letters, albeit covertly or discreetly. Bess of Hardwick was both ordinary and extraordinary in her letter-writing: she was ordinary in her ambitions for herself and family, a common part of noblewomen and letter-writing, but extraordinary in her skill and her ability to rebel against gender norms. Her letters provide an insight into the private politics of English noblewomen as they reshaped court politics and society through their relationships.

Communication and power: noblewomen and letter-writing in the Elizabethan court

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