Thank you to everyone who contributed to this conversation. Most helpful! I look forward to Mike Gill's paper very much, also to any other references that people may have buried deep in the memory aomewhere!
I don't think there is an answer to this question, but I am puzzled by the history of women partners and partnerships for dressing in Weardale/Yorkshire Dales etc, which also seems to happen at the Calstock smelters early 1300's, cf. dressing as part of the tribute team in SW later. It wasn't an unquestioning acceptance of Roger Burt's assumption about women not being employed after about 1840 'up north' - and while lack of written record certainly doesn't mean absence - I'm guessing that relatively small scale enterprises would probably employ boys before they employ women. But obviously not so earlier. Similarly I am perplexed by the emergence of female tin trades in Truro circa 1700, and active women mine or clay works managers in Cornwall mid 19th century. They were all widows, presumambly continuing in their husband's footsteps, but in a very active way. I do not know whether there were certain social conditions prevailing that 'allowed' these windows of opportunity, whether the general view on the employment of women was more relaxed than we are led to believe, or whether these were exceptional women grasping an opportunity (and succeeding), or a bit of all three!
Lynne Mayers
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