Tracey Dessoy

Tracey Dessoy

PhD - Part-time

"The place and role of women in medieval Canterbury and its hinterland, c.1150-c.1300"

Tracey has received funding for studies from the Ian Coulson Memorial Postgraduate Fund

Supervisors

First Supervisor: Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh | Second Supervisor: Dr Astrid Stilma | Chair of Studies: Professor Thomas Hennessey

Research Summary

The research uses a case study approach to explore the role of women in Canterbury and its hinterland in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It is divided into three chapters: the first concerns their roles in religious patronage, piety and charity in the context of their power and influence within their local community; the second looks at their property rights, the properties they held and how they managed their estates and households; and the third considers the strategies used by generations of women across the different groups within the urban and rural environments to secure family continuity in an often hostile environment.

More information about Tracey

A graduate in History from Queen Mary, University of London, I worked in the media for five years (BBC and Thames TV) and have since lectured and taught full-time in Film, Media, English and Drama. I still do this on a sessional basis alongside my part-time PhD. I have always enjoyed researching and writing articles about aspects of local history, and have taken part as a volunteer in a number of archaeological digs with Canterbury Archaeological Trust.

External Work/Affiliations/Links

Sessional teaching in English and related subjects.