Abstract This article examines an exchange of letters to reveal how age, gender and social status shaped early modern family hierarchies. A tense episode began when Susan Bourchier left the house of her eldest half-brother, Thomas Kitson, despite being unmarried and dependent on him for financial support. Thomas’s resultant anger required careful negotiation between Susan, Thomas and their half-brother Henry. A close analysis of their language reveals the emotional practices used to negotiate family relationships, thus offering a unique insight on strategies available for young women to enact agency while navigating the divided patriarchal power of a blended family network.
Maria Cannon (Thu,) studied this question.