ABSTRACT
The remarrying widow was a common sight in early modern England. Even though widowers rather than widows were more likely to remarry, and with greater speed, studies of remarriage rates in early modern England show that from the male perspective, widows were popular choices as marriage partners. The experience which women had gained managing their legal and financial affairs during their widowhood, however short, meant that in men’s eyes they could make formidably assertive marriage partners. Widows may have had both economic and community knowhow which could prove troublesome to men, but it was their sexual experience which was most threatening. Widows were thought to remarry because they were driven by lust and therefore chose men younger than themselves. The desire of widows to resume sexual relationships could even be portrayed as a medical necessity. Instead widows within the middling sorts were most likely to receive and accept a proposal of marriage.
