Evidence from Wills
Julian in Context
As we have seen, there have been speculations that Julian was born and grew up in the North of England rather than in Norwich and that she must have arrived there later. As we saw briefly in the Introduction, these speculations arise from some supposed evidence of Northern dialect in Julian's two texts although as we saw this is highly ambiguous. In terms of my own interpretation, while necessarily remaining tentative, I can see no overwhelming reason to move away from the conventional assumption that, whatever the history of her texts, Julian herself was indeed a "woman of Norwich" (or somewhere nearby), from an affluent background. This view is explicitly reinforced by Nicholas Watson and Jacqueline Jenkins in their relatively recent scholarly edition of Julian's writings.4 Barry Windeatt's most recent edition does not seem to contradict this.
Evidence from Wills The Jesuit scholar Norman Tanner can be credited with a systematic search for references to Julian in various bequests in surviving late medieval wills.5 These are also laid out in Appendix B of the scholarly edition of Julian by Watson and Jenkins.6 Four wills survive that bequeath money to Julian, one in Anglo‐Norman and three in Latin. The Anglo‐Norman will is by Isabel Ufford, Countess of Suffolk and the daughter of the Earl of Warwick. This was "proved" (that is, established as authentic) in 1416.
Twenty shillings were left to "Julian, recluse at Norwich." Of the Latin wills, the earliest bequest – and, indeed, the earliest evidence of Julian's status as an anchoress – dates from 1393 or 1394. This is the will of Roger
Reed, the Rector of St Michael's Church, Coslany, in Norwich. Although the will was damaged by fire in recent years, we know from a prior reference in the scholarly edition of Colledge and Walsh (pp 33–34) that it left two shillings to "Julian anchorite." A further will of the chantry priest
Thomas Emund, dated 1404, left "twelve pence to Julian, anchoress at the church of St Julian in Norwich" and also "eight pence to Sarah, living with her." It is not clear whether Sarah was also an anchoress or was Julian's maid. This is the only direct reference to Julian by name that links her to an anchorhold at St Julian's Church. Finally, the will of John Plumpton of the city of Norwich in November 1415 states "Item: I bequeath forty pence to the anchoress in the Church of St Julian's, Conesford, in Norwich and twelve pence to her maid. Item: I bequeath her former maid, Alice, twelve pence." Assuming that "the anchoress" is Julian, and even if she did not live beyond 1415, it means that Julian reached the age of at least 74.
It is worth noting the motivation for such bequests. The contemporary concerns with death, God's judgment, and the possibility of eternal