Professor Caroline Barron OBE Inspires Wycombe Abbey Pupils with Fascinating History Talk
21 September 2026 - Academic
Last week, Professor Caroline Barron OBE visited Wycombe Abbey to speak to our History Enrichment group about women in medieval London. Her talk explored how women achieved remarkable independence despite being excluded from positions of formal authority.
In a city of around 80,000 people, the demographic upheaval caused by the Black Death created new opportunities for women to enter the workforce and help sustain the economy. Girls took up trades, while women conducted business with merchants across Europe.
Crucially, London’s legal customs granted widows an unusual degree of autonomy. To preserve commercial stability, they could gain citizenship, manage their own finances and run major businesses independently, such as Johanna Hill’s bell foundry.
Professor Barron brought these extraordinary stories to life, highlighting the resilience, enterprise and determination of women who forged their own paths in medieval society.
Carolina and Athena
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