Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England : Women's Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600

In 1300, women brewed and sold most of the ale drunk in England, but by 1600 the industry was largely controlled by men. Ale, Beer and Brewsters investigates this change, asking how, when, and why brewing ceased to be a woman's trade and became a trade of men. In doing so, Bennett sheds new light on a central problem in women's history: the effects of early capitalism on the status of women's work.