Women, war and intelligence in Ypres and the Flemish West Quarter (1488–1489)

This article sheds light on the often-overlooked roles women played in the intelligence networks of Flanders during the war against Maximilian of Austria in 1488–1489, by focussing on the intelligence activities of women in the Flemish West Quarter compensated by the city of Ypres. It also explores the growing professionalisation of these women, noting how the same women were employed repeatedly, reflecting the establishment of more structured intelligence operations by 1489. However, this did not necessarily result in a clear differentiation between the roles of intelligence work and other tasks, such as delivering letters. The article also contrasts the roles of rural and urban women employed by the city government. The critical yet underrecognised contributions of women, particularly those in rural areas, to this period of warfare show how the involvement of women in intelligence work was not solely an urban or noble phenomenon in the Middle Ages.