The English Housewife-Ain't Misbehavin' by Sibelle Stone

Today I am delighted to welcome fellow author, Sibelle Stone to my blog.
Welcome, Sibelle.

Thanks, Anna. Great to be here.

In 1615,author Gervase Markham published a book, The English Housewife, Containing the inward and outward virtues which ought to be in a complete woman; as her skill in physic, cookery, banqueting- stuff, distillation perfumes, wool, hemp, flax, dairies, brewing, baking, and all other things belonging to a household.

Just reading the title is exhausting, and when you consider what the expectations were for a woman living in the seventeenth century, it might make you want to take a nap.

"Fabulous" colonial era gown

She was expected to “be a godly, constant, and religious woman,” and she should serve as an example to the household, learning and taking direction from men, most especially her husband and preacher. She should not preach herself, but act as a model, displaying the finest characteristics of piety and temperance.

Colonial home interior, Jamestown, Virginia

She should not express “violence of rage” passion and always maintain a pleasant, gentle mien -- especially toward her husband. And if he should make her angry, she is extolled to “virtuously suppress” any anger and present herself as a gentle, mild reminder of the higher virtues.

She needed to maintain her “proportion” by controlling her appetite somewhere between gluttony and the appearance of a consumptive. In other words, she shouldn’t be too fat, or too thin. Apparently, some things never change. If she can grow her own food, instead of purchasing food at the market, even better. Thrifty and skinny, what a woman!

Everyday garb

She should maintain her garments to be clean, comely and well-made. Probably by her or one of her servants. She must not be vain, nor decorate her clothing feathers or fancy adornments. She should avoid light colors too. Since most of the natural dyes made clothing "butternut brown" or gray, this probably wasn't much of a challenge.

An English housewife must be of chaste thought, stout courage, patient, untired, watchful, diligent, witty, pleasant, constant in friendship, full of good neighbourhood, wise in discourse, but not to frequent therein, sharp and quick of speech, but not bitter or talkative, secret in her affairs, comfortable in her counsels, and generally skillful in all worthy knowledge which do belong to her vocation.

It’s probably good there wasn’t on-line dating back then. I can’t imagine too many women responding to a profile that offered that as the description of the perfect mate. Strangely enough, there wasn’t any such description of the perfect husband.

While I consider Catlin Glyndwr, the heroine of my book, Whistle Down the Wind to possess many virtues, even she’s not the paragon the housewife book describes. After all, who wants to read about the perfect woman? Catlin possesses a kind heart, is willing to help others, is courageous, witty and sometimes wise. But, she makes mistakes, misjudges circumstances and is just beginning to learn to control magical powers. It’s even harder to be perfect when you’re a witch.

Blurb: "Whistle Down the Wind"

Arrested for using her magical powers to protect herself, Catlin Glyndwr faces the hangman’s noose. Descended from a long line of elemental witches, she can control the wind and weather. But the worst thing that can happen in 1664 England is to be charged with practicing of witchcraft. Especially when the accusation is true.


Sir Griffin Reynolds is visiting his closest childhood friend before embarking on a secret mission for King Charles II to the New World. When his friend becomes deathly ill while interrogating a beautiful woman accused of witchcraft, Griffin accepts her offer of help. In exchange for her freedom, she’ll heal his friend.


Griffin and Catlin embark on a journey to Virginia to save the colony. They succumb to the temptation of a white hot passion that blazes between them. But a Dark Druid stalks Catlin, and if he can’t possess her and her magic -- no man will. .
Buy Links: Amazon.com
Smashwords.com 
Barnes & Noble

Sibelle Stone is the pseudonym for award winning historical romance author Deborah Schneider. Sibelle writes sexy steampunk and paranormal stories, filled with magic, mad scientists, dirigibles, automatons, and creatures that would scare the panties off Deborah. In her spare time Sibelle enjoys dressing up in Victorian ensembles, modding play guns into something that looks a bit more sinister and wearing hats.


Thank you Sibelle. I've read and enjoyed your book, Whistle Down the Wind.
If you enjoy history, Sibelle and I are collaborators on another blog devoted to historical fiction, History Ink.

Men In Their Prime



Battle of Crecy

Happy Valentines Day! Let's celebrate by taking a look at "love" in the Middle Ages. Men in their twenties were considered to be in their prime. In their thirties they were “mature” and in their forties “growing old”.
For women, subtract five or six years. They were in their prime at seventeen, mature at twenty-five and growing old by their mid thirties.
Boys and girls were betrothed to each other in infancy and most girls of good birth were married by the age of sixteen. Marriage at twelve was acceptable, although cohabitation was usually not begun until fourteen.
By their mid twenties most women had produced five or six children, at least half of which had died. This is if they survived the high risk of childbirth. Given the violent nature of society, many would already be widows.
Medieval boys were expected to work from the age of seven, and could be hung for theft at the same age. They could marry at fourteen and be called upon to serve their king in a war at fifteen.
Noble youths could be given command of battalions. At the age of 20, Edward III declared war on the Scots and led an army into battle, despite being outnumbered two to one. He had the full confidence of his nobles, knights and infantry.
In 1346 at the Battle of Crecy, command of the vanguard was given to Prince Edward, then just 16.
I’m afraid this means my heroes and heroines are not historically accurate. The men of the Montbryce family are definitely in their “prime” even though they are all close to 30 when they meet and fall in love with their heroines.
I would have a difficult time writing a steamy scenario for a popular romance that involves a fourteen year old boy and twelve year old girl. Good thing I write fiction! While I do strive mightily for historical accuracy in my novels, this is one area I’m likely to keep imposing my 21st century mindset on my stories!

(Wo)man Overboard!

Here’s a story from the 14th century chronicler Thomas Walsingham’s Historia Anglicana, as recounted in Ian Mortimer’s book, The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England.
In the autumn of 1379 Sir John Arundel—younger brother of the Earl of Arundel—rides up to a convent with a detachment of soldiers, planning to sail to Brittany. He asks for lodging for himself and his troops while he waits for the wind to change. The Prioress is reluctant, given the number of armed young men, but eventually relents, aware of her obligation to provide hospitality to travellers.
The wind doesn’t change and the men become restless. They start drinking and flirting with the nuns, who then lock themselves in the dormitory. The soldiers force their way in and rape them. They then loot the nunnery. Not satisfied with that, they turn their attention to a nearby church where they encounter a wedding party. They seize the bride and take turns raping her.
Suddenly they become aware the wind has changed and they herd this woman and as many nuns as they can onto their vessel.
A day or so later, a storm blows up from the east. The ship is swept off course and takes on water. Arundel gives the order for the sixty women to be thrown overboard to lighten the load. They are all hurled into the sea, and the ship makes its way to Ireland.
As Mortimer points out, this story is an extreme one, and probably not typical. But Walsingham believed it to be true and this demonstrates that medieval people found it credible that groups of young men who were armed, bored, drunk and in a gang were capable of this kind of atrocity.
No wonder women travelled little in the Middle Ages. Medieval society was more fearful, guarded and violent than our own.
This story drew my attention in particular because in my series, The Montbryce Legacy, set almost two centuries before this event, William the Conqueror rewards Rambaud de Montbryce with vast tracts of lands and manors in what was known as the Rape of Arundel. It was an area of Sussex vital for the defence of England.
One of my villains, Renouf de Maubadon appeals to the Bishop of Arundel when his wife is abducted by my hero, Hugh de Montbryce (If Love Dares Enough).
William the Conqueror hoped to bring The Peace of God to England, but it appears that by the 14th century, fear and confrontation accompanied bands of armed men wherever they went, and lawlessness prevailed when there were few means of detecting a criminal’s identity.