Source 6a: Parliament Roll of 1406

This is an extract from the Parliament Roll of 1406. It was published in ‘The Statutes of the Realm: a collection of the Acts of the Parliament of England from earliest times until 1707’. Catalogue ref: C 65/68 m. 2.

Extract:

Transcript (Medieval French):

Chacun homme ou femme de quele estate ou condicion qil

soit, soit fraunc de mettre son fitz ou file dapprendre lettereure a quelconque escole

que leur plest deinz le Roialme

Translation:

Each man or woman of whatever estate or condition [social status] be, be theythat son or daughter to obtain learning at whichever kind of theirfree to set school that pleases him within the Realm.

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Task 6 – Women and education

  • Does the law concerning education of girls and boys in Source 6a surprise you? Give your reasons.
  • Can you explain why the education of girls and boys would be different at that time?
  • What does the poem in source 6b infer about the education that girls received?
  • What does source 6c suggest about education for girls?
  • What does source 6d say about what kinds of education were available for girls?
  • Looking at all the sources together, what do you think girls’ educations were like at this time?
  • How different is education for girls and boys today?