Name: SCEMS | Lecture | Koji Yamamato, The University of Tokyo
Start: 2022-11-02T17:15:00Z
End: 2022-11-02T18:30:00Z
Location: The Diamond, Lecture Theatre 8

SCEMS | Lecture | Koji Yamamato, The University of Tokyo

Sheffield Centre for Early Modern Studies

Gendering political economy: soap, monopoly and washerwomen under Charles I

The Diamond, Lecture Theatre 8

The soap monopoly is a fascinating case study for &#x27;gendering political economy&#x27; because white linen was ubiquitous in early modern England.New-born babies as well as dying patients were expected to be wrapped in clean linen. The expectation of keeping them &#x27;sweet and wholesome&#x27; was so widespread and powerful that linen&#x27;s whiteness was frequently linked with spiritual purity, with dirt and filth associated with vice and corruption. The key ingredient for achieving that whiteness was soap, and laundry was dominated mostly by poorer women. During the 1630s, however, the production of this vital commodity was placed under a royal monopoly. The &#x27;old soaps&#x27; were swiftly banned and replaced by the &#x27;new soap&#x27; of inferior quality, made of domestic (i.e. non-imported) materials.Previous studies have focused on either the production side (soap-boilers&#x27; resistance) or the fiscal side (the imposition of de-facto consumption tax). Consequently, no account has examined the episode from an explicitly gendered perspective. I propose to fill the gap by focusing on the experience of washerwomen in London, the largest city in England and the largest centre for soap production at the time. Who were the washerwomen affected by the royal imposition of an inferior commodity? How did they respond? How did elite men understand these women&#x27;s actions? By tackling these questions, we can begin to explore how humble women&#x27;s work and actions, with elite men&#x27;s inability to listen, shaped one of the most important domestic policies under Charles I.T﻿his is an online event taking place via Google Meet. All registered attendees will receive a link to the meeting via email on the day of the event.

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SCEMS | Lecture | Koji Yamamato, The University of Tokyo

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