Roesia De Verdun, Thirteenth Century Femme Sole

Wolek, Sarah (2025) Roesia De Verdun, Thirteenth Century Femme Sole. Masters thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

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Abstract

This thesis explores the life and legacy of Roesia de Verdun (c. 1204 – 1247), an Anglo-Norman noblewoman whose strategic marriages, assertive widowhood, and material patronage illuminate the complex roles available to medieval women navigating power and identity. Divided into three parts, the study begins with Roesia’s dynastic positioning through marriage and motherhood, highlighting how her unions reflected contemporary norms and secured the de Verdun lineage. Next, it advocates her second widowhood as a turning point when she operated as a femme sole, a legally independent woman. During this period, she resisted remarriage, managed estates, and emerged as a legal and political actor, appearing in court records and corresponding with influential figures like Bishop Robert Grosseteste. Finally, the third part turns to her material legacy, analyzing personalized artefacts such as her seals and tomb effigy alongside her architectural and religious foundations. These objects reveal how Roesia curated her public image and asserted agency through symbolic representation. By tracing her influence across familial, legal, and commemorative domains, this study contributes to broader conversations about medieval women’s autonomy, dynastic strategy, and the interplay between gender and material culture.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D111 Medieval History H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
Divisions:	Theses and Dissertations > Masters Dissertations
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.82227/repository.uwtsd.ac.uk.00004089
Depositing User:	Victoria Hankinson
Date Deposited:	09 Jan 2026 10:46
Last Modified:	09 Jan 2026 10:51
URI:	https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/4089

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