▁society ▁changed . ▁The ▁rights ▁and ▁roles ▁of ▁women ▁became ▁more ▁sharp ly ▁defined , ▁in ▁part ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁fe ud al ▁system ▁and ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁legal ▁system ; ▁some ▁women ▁benef ited ▁from ▁this , ▁while ▁others ▁lost ▁out . ▁The ▁rights ▁of ▁wid ows ▁were ▁formally ▁laid ▁down ▁in ▁law ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁century , ▁clar ifying ▁the ▁right ▁of ▁free ▁women ▁to ▁own ▁property , ▁but ▁this ▁did ▁not ▁necessarily ▁prevent ▁women ▁from ▁being ▁for ci b ly ▁rem ar ried ▁against ▁their ▁wishes . ▁The ▁growth ▁of ▁government al ▁institutions ▁under ▁a ▁succession ▁of ▁b ish ops ▁reduced ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁que ens ▁and ▁their ▁households ▁in ▁formal ▁government . ▁Mar ried ▁or ▁wid owed ▁noble w omen ▁remained ▁significant ▁cultural ▁and ▁religious ▁pat rons ▁and ▁played ▁an ▁important ▁part ▁in ▁political ▁and ▁military ▁events , ▁even ▁if ▁chron ic lers ▁were ▁uncertain ▁if ▁this ▁was ▁appropriate ▁behaviour . ▁As ▁in ▁earlier ▁centuries , ▁most ▁women ▁worked ▁in ▁agricult ure , ▁but ▁here ▁roles ▁became ▁more ▁clearly ▁gender ed , ▁with ▁pl ough ing ▁and ▁man aging ▁the ▁fields ▁defined ▁as ▁men ' s ▁work , ▁for ▁example , ▁and ▁da iry ▁production ▁becoming ▁domin ated ▁by ▁women . ▁ ▁Identity ▁ ▁The ▁Norm ans ▁and ▁French ▁who ▁arrived ▁after ▁the ▁con quest ▁saw ▁themselves ▁as ▁different ▁from ▁the ▁English . ▁They ▁had ▁close ▁family ▁and ▁economic ▁links ▁to ▁the ▁Duch y ▁of ▁Norm andy