“Villanies of that damnd Kéeper”: Caregiving, Criminality, and Contagion in Early Modern England

Abstract

T he disease is said to be imported; xenophobic and racist hostility against those deemed to be "foreigners" ensues. 1 Once the disease has arrived in a given location, community spread is blamed on vulnerable populations, marginalizing them still further. People who live in densely populated areas, as well as those who cannot afford to stay home and work low-wage, precarious jobs that cannot be conducted there are more likely to contract the disease. 2 Older people are regarded as expendable: already nearing the ends of their lives, they are asked to assume sacrifices to save the young. 3 Women are disproportionately affected by the crisis: the resultant economic and social stress and restrictions on movements lead to quieter streets and cramped households that drive a surge in violence against Dedicated to my mother, Sue Winder Craig, BN MSc(A), teacher of nursing. Thank you to Alexander K. P. Lash and Benjamin VanWagoner for their insights on an earlier draft of this essay.