According to David Cressy, a female-only feast was part of the
churching customs in 16th and 17th c. England, to be paid for by the
husband. For more information, see his book, _Birth, Marriage and
Death: Ritual, Religion and the Life-Cycle in Tudor and Stuart England_
(1997), or his article a couple of years eariler in _Past and Present_.
Sharon Arnoult
History Dept.
SWTSU
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|