Moral Regulation and Civic Identity in London 1400-1530

Stephanie Tarbin

Abstract

Allegations of sexual misconduct featured prominently among the business of medieval church courts, which were concerned to correct spiritual offences. But moral regulation was not solely the province of the church, as secular authorities also investigated sexual infractions and prosecuted delinquents. This article investigates the purpose of such activities by London's civic governors, considering their significance in terms of gender. Ordinances and records of prosecutions show that the city's rulers viewed their correctional activities as a necessary responsibility of moral Christian government, borrowing extensively from Christian teachings to elaborate a rhetoric of good rule and civic honesty. For London's leading citizens, the public regulation of sexuality guaranteed the honour of the city and asserted the virtuous government of the city's rulers. The essay will explore how understandings of masculinity and femininity were implicated in the construction of civic identity, arguing that male sexual discipline was the desired result of moral regulation.

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Material for Our Medieval Heritage, published by Merton Priory Press ©2002. Web site from the Arts Faculty of the Australian National University.