Alice la Haubergere
Alice la Haubergere | |
|---|---|
| Born | London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Mail maker, blacksmith, brewer |
| Years active | 1271–1310 |
Alice la Haubergere (active 1271–1310) was a London-based English mail maker, recognized as one of the earliest documented women working as a blacksmith in England. She received her armour-making skills from her father and also managed a brewery while leasing properties to notable London residents.
Biography
The earliest documentation of Alice la Haubergere dates back to 1271. She was the daughter of Reginald le Hauberger, a mail maker operating in Cheapside, London, and it is probable that she acquired her craft under his guidance. Distinctively for her era, she maintained the feminine form of her occupational surname "la Haubergere" throughout her life, including after marriage.
Although her primary profession was armour crafting, she diversified into brewing during her marriage to Thomas le Marshal, who was involved in wine selling and tavern management. Upon inheriting the substantial brewery Le Horshed along with seven shops from her father, she and Marshal leased these premises to William le Paternoster in 1280. They structured lease payments over a decade to circumvent usury laws. Meanwhile, Alice continued working as a journeyman armourer; two of the shops were rented by other armourers in 1284 and 1290.
After Thomas le Marshal passed away before 1305, Alice remarried Roger Cary, who also died prior to that year. Subsequently, she leased tenement housing to tenants such as William de Leyre and Richer de Refham. In 1305, she became involved in a legal conflict with tenant Roger de Broune regarding property adjacent to the Great Conduit. Broune claimed that during his military service, Alice had blocked access to the property and invalidated his deed to reclaim it on behalf of her deceased husband Cary.
On 5 July 1305, the court found Alice la Haubergere guilty of destroying Broune’s deed; she was sentenced to pay damages and was imprisoned. By September, due to illness, she was released on mainprise but admitted to having destroyed the deed, leading to her re-incarceration. After this period, records suggest she continued her work as a blacksmith. The final known reference to her dates from 1310.