ABSTRACT
SinceAliceClark'spioneeringstudy1mostsocialhistorianswritingaboutworking womeninpre-nineteenth-centuryBritainhavetriedtothrowlightonfairlylarge occupationalgroupsofworkingwomen,suchasfactoryworkers2ordomestic servants,3ofteninanattempttoreachsomeconclusiveevidenceastotheevolution oftheirgeneralstandardsofliving.4Anotherapproachhasledfeministhistoriansto lookforthemajorreasonforworkingwomen'sexploitation:wasitclass?wasit gender?5Withoutignoringthesecrucialquestions,thepresentbook,writtenby culturalhistorians,focusesonthestatusofsmall,sometimeseventinygroupsof womenholdingfairlymarginalpositionsinthelabourmarket,andoftenemployed onanirregularbasis.Womenlikehousekeepers,hospitalnurses,campfollowers, governesses,actresses,musicians,totakesomeofthecasesexaminedhere,generally didnothavestable,permanentemployments.Evenfemaletradesmen,sometimes succeedingahusbandorbrother,oftenworkedonlyforashortperiodoftheirlives. Thetemporary,unreliablecharacterofsuchworkcanofcoursebepartlyrelatedto thechangingneedsofwomenatdifferentperiodsoftheirlives,butitalsohasalot todowiththestatusofwomen'sworkatthetime.
