Widows’ law in the guilds of the Early Modern Rheims

The article compares the position of master with that of his widow who chose to stay in business after his death. Widows’ law was not limited to professional qualifications; even though women had chances to learn the trade, the absence of professional knowledge was seen as a norm. Thus widows, unlike their late husbands could not work unassisted and were not allowed to teach new professionals.