Widowhood through Petitions. An Example of Notarial Activity in Fourteenth-Century Barcelona

Abstract

Notarial documentation is undoubtedly an indispensable resource for women’s history. However, whereas wills, inventories, and all kinds of contracts are frequently used as sources, notarial petitions and arbitration acts do not usually attract scholarly attention, and that despite the fact that these notarial documents provide an effective means to study the difficulties women had to face and the causes of their often challenging situation. In the case of Barcelona, the substantial presence of widows in judicial documents seems to suggest that their rights were not always respected. The fact that widows were usually “women without men” sometimes led the late husband’s heirs and relatives to try to take advantage of their difficult position for personal gain. The sources show widows defending their rights, as well as the rights of their children, especially when pursuing the restitution of their dowries, and complaining about the excessive expenses of judicial proceedings, demanding a fair and transparent trial, and expeditious rulings. Even though such situations were probably a consequence of their vulnerability, widows were able to have their voices heard in court to find a solution to their needs.