WIDOWS AND REPUTATION IN THE DIOCESE OF CHESTER, ENGLAND, 1560-1650

Widows in the diocese of Chester in early modem England participated i n and were subject to gossip in ways that did not differ from the expe rience of other adult women Widows used language as a tool of social i nfluence both in cases of sexual defamation and in cases of suspected witchcraft This article explores widows' participation in the formatio n of reputation and their vulnerability to stereotyping as witches. So urces include defamation cases from the consistory court of the dioces e of Chester and accusations of witchcraft from the palatinate courts of Cheshire and Lancashire.