Elizabeth Egerton, Countess of Bridgewater (néeLady Elizabeth Cavendish; 1626 – 14 July 1663) was an English writer[1] who married into the Egerton family.
Elizabeth Cavendish was encouraged in her literary interests from a young age by her father, William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle, himself an author and patron of the arts surrounded by a literary coterie which included Ben Jonson, Thomas Shadwell, and John Dryden. Her works consist of a series of manuscripts, some of which have recently become available in modern editions.
She married John Egerton (Lord Brackley) in 1641, when she was fifteen. Her mother, Elizabeth Bassett, died in 1643, and her father was later remarried to noted writer Margaret Cavendish. William Cavendish and his sons relocated to France during the English Civil War, while Egerton and her sisters Jane and Frances remained at the besieged family seat in Nottinghamshire until 1645 when she relocated to her husband's home where she was relatively sheltered from the rest of the war. Egerton's earliest manuscript compilation (Bodl. Oxf., MS Rawl. poet. 16; Yale University, Beinecke Library, Osborn MS b. 233), an anthology of poems and dramas, Poems Songs a Pastorall and a Play by the Right Honorable the Lady Jane Cavendish and Lady Elizabeth Brackley, co-written with her sister, dates from this period. The Concealed Fansyes, the play mentioned in that title, "features two heroines who hold out for and get 'equall marryage,' having trained the gallants, Courtley and Praesumption, who were intending to train them."[2] Egerton's final manuscript collection, known as the "Loose Papers," is made up of prayers, meditations, and essays, some written in response to the illness and death of her children — only four of whom survived to adulthood — and some to pregnancy and childbirth:
O Lord, I knowe thou mightest have smothered this my Babe in the wombe, but thou art ever mercyfull, and hast at this time brought us both from greate dangers, and me from the greate torture of childbirth.[3]
Elizabeth Egerton died delivering her tenth child and was buried at Ashridge, Hertfordshire. Her manuscripts are held at the Nottingham University Library, Portland collection (letters); the Bodleian and Beinecke libraries (Poems Songs &c.); and the British and Huntington Libraries (her "Loose Papers"). Her essays on marriage and widowhood "open a highly unusual window on the thinking of a seventeenth-century woman."[4]
Selected worksedit
Cheyne, Jane, Lady, 1621–1669 and Egerton, Elizabeth Cavendish, 1626–1663. The Concealed Fansyes: A Play by Lady Jane Cavendish and Lady Elizabeth Brackley. Edited by Nathan Comfort Starr. PMLA, Vol. 46, No. 3 (Sep., 1931), pp. 802–838. Copyright not renewed.
With Jane Cavendish. From "A Pastorall"; "An answeare to my Lady Alice Edgertons Songe"; "On my Boy Henry"; and "On the death of my Deare Sister." Rprt. Kissing the Rod: an anthology of seventeenth-century women's verse. Germaine Greer et al., eds. Farrar Staus Giroux, 1988. 106-118.
Notesedit
^*Travitsky, Betty S. "Egerton , Elizabeth, countess of Bridgewater (1626–1663)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Ed. H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. Oxford: OUP, 2004. 4 Jan. 2007.
Alexandra G. Bennett, "'Now let my language speake': The Authorship, Rewriting, and Audience(s) of Jane Cavendish and Elizabeth Brackley". Early Modern Literary Studies 11.2 (September 2005): 3.1–13
"Blain, Virginia, et al., eds. Cavendish, Lady Jane, later Cheyne, 1621-69, and Lady Elizabeth, 1626-63." The Feminist Companion to Literature in English. New Haven and London: Yale UP, 1990. 190-191.
Elizabeth Brackley and Jane Cavendish, The Concealed Fancies (c. 1645), Renaissance Drama by Women: Texts and Documents, S. P. Cerasano and Marion Wynne-Davies, eds. New York and London: Routledge, 1996
Ezell, Margaret J. M., "To Be Your Daughter in Your Pen: The Social Functions of Literature in the Writings of Lady Elizabeth Brackley and Lady Jane Cavendish". Huntington Library Quarterly 51.4 (1988) pp. 281–296
Findlay, Alison. "Playing the 'scene self' in Jane Cavendish and Elizabeth Brackley's The Concealed Fancies". Enacting Gender on the English Renaissance Stage. Ed. Anne Russell and Viviana Comensoli. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1999, pp. 154–176
Greer, Germaine, et al., eds. "Lady Jane Cavendish and Lady Elizabeth Brackley."Kissing the Rod: an anthology of seventeenth-century women's verse. Farrar Straus Giroux, 1988. 106-118.
Larson, Dr. Katherine (2011). Early Modern Women in Conversation. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN9780230319615.
Stanton, Kamille Stone, "The Domestication of Royalist Themes in the Manuscript Writings of Jane Cavendish and Elizabeth Brackley", Clio: A Journal of Literature, History and the Philosophy of History 36:2 (Spring 2007)
Wynne-Davies, Marion, "Jane and Elizabeth Cavendish"; "Jane Cavendish"; "Elizabeth Cavendish", Women Poets of the Renaissance. London: J. M. Dent, 1998
November 24, 2023
elizabeth, cavendish, countess, bridgewater, elizabeth, egerton, countess, bridgewater, née, lady, elizabeth, cavendish, 1626, july, 1663, english, writer, married, into, egerton, family, elizabeth, cavendishcountess, bridgewaterborn1626died14, july, 1663burie. Elizabeth Egerton Countess of Bridgewater nee Lady Elizabeth Cavendish 1626 14 July 1663 was an English writer 1 who married into the Egerton family Elizabeth CavendishCountess of BridgewaterBorn1626Died14 July 1663BuriedAshridge HertfordshireNoble familyCavendishSpouse s John Egerton 2nd Earl of BridgewaterIssueJohn Egerton 3rd Earl of BridgewaterSir William Egerton KBThomas EgertonCharles Egerton MPElizabeth EgertonFatherWilliam Cavendish 1st Duke of NewcastleMotherElizabeth Basset Howard Contents 1 Biography 2 Selected works 3 Notes 4 Further readingBiography editElizabeth Cavendish was encouraged in her literary interests from a young age by her father William Cavendish 1st Duke of Newcastle himself an author and patron of the arts surrounded by a literary coterie which included Ben Jonson Thomas Shadwell and John Dryden Her works consist of a series of manuscripts some of which have recently become available in modern editions She married John Egerton Lord Brackley in 1641 when she was fifteen Her mother Elizabeth Bassett died in 1643 and her father was later remarried to noted writer Margaret Cavendish William Cavendish and his sons relocated to France during the English Civil War while Egerton and her sisters Jane and Frances remained at the besieged family seat in Nottinghamshire until 1645 when she relocated to her husband s home where she was relatively sheltered from the rest of the war Egerton s earliest manuscript compilation Bodl Oxf MS Rawl poet 16 Yale University Beinecke Library Osborn MS b 233 an anthology of poems and dramas Poems Songs a Pastorall and a Play by the Right Honorable the Lady Jane Cavendish and Lady Elizabeth Brackley co written with her sister dates from this period The Concealed Fansyes the play mentioned in that title features two heroines who hold out for and get equall marryage having trained the gallants Courtley and Praesumption who were intending to train them 2 Egerton s final manuscript collection known as the Loose Papers is made up of prayers meditations and essays some written in response to the illness and death of her children only four of whom survived to adulthood and some to pregnancy and childbirth O Lord I knowe thou mightest have smothered this my Babe in the wombe but thou art ever mercyfull and hast at this time brought us both from greate dangers and me from the greate torture of childbirth 3 Elizabeth Egerton died delivering her tenth child and was buried at Ashridge Hertfordshire Her manuscripts are held at the Nottingham University Library Portland collection letters the Bodleian and Beinecke libraries Poems Songs amp c and the British and Huntington Libraries her Loose Papers Her essays on marriage and widowhood open a highly unusual window on the thinking of a seventeenth century woman 4 Selected works editCheyne Jane Lady 1621 1669 and Egerton Elizabeth Cavendish 1626 1663 The Concealed Fansyes A Play by Lady Jane Cavendish and Lady Elizabeth Brackley Edited by Nathan Comfort Starr PMLA Vol 46 No 3 Sep 1931 pp 802 838 Copyright not renewed With Jane Cavendish From A Pastorall An answeare to my Lady Alice Edgertons Songe On my Boy Henry and On the death of my Deare Sister Rprt Kissing the Rod an anthology of seventeenth century women s verse Germaine Greer et al eds Farrar Staus Giroux 1988 106 118 Notes edit Travitsky Betty S Egerton Elizabeth countess of Bridgewater 1626 1663 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Ed H C G Matthew and Brian Harrison Oxford OUP 2004 4 Jan 2007 Blain et al 190 BL MS Egerton 607 f 30 Cit Greer et al 108 Travitsky OED Further reading editAlexandra G Bennett Now let my language speake The Authorship Rewriting and Audience s of Jane Cavendish and Elizabeth Brackley Early Modern Literary Studies 11 2 September 2005 3 1 13 Blain Virginia et al eds Cavendish Lady Jane later Cheyne 1621 69 and Lady Elizabeth 1626 63 The Feminist Companion to Literature in English New Haven and London Yale UP 1990 190 191 Elizabeth Brackley and Jane Cavendish The Concealed Fancies c 1645 Renaissance Drama by Women Texts and Documents S P Cerasano and Marion Wynne Davies eds New York and London Routledge 1996 Ezell Margaret J M To Be Your Daughter in Your Pen The Social Functions of Literature in the Writings of Lady Elizabeth Brackley and Lady Jane Cavendish Huntington Library Quarterly 51 4 1988 pp 281 296 Findlay Alison Playing the scene self in Jane Cavendish and Elizabeth Brackley s The Concealed Fancies Enacting Gender on the English Renaissance Stage Ed Anne Russell and Viviana Comensoli Chicago U of Chicago P 1999 pp 154 176 Greer Germaine et al eds Lady Jane Cavendish and Lady Elizabeth Brackley Kissing the Rod an anthology of seventeenth century women s verse Farrar Straus Giroux 1988 106 118 Larson Dr Katherine 2011 Early Modern Women in Conversation Palgrave Macmillan ISBN 9780230319615 Stanton Kamille Stone The Domestication of Royalist Themes in the Manuscript Writings of Jane Cavendish and Elizabeth Brackley Clio A Journal of Literature History and the Philosophy of History 36 2 Spring 2007 Wynne Davies Marion Jane and Elizabeth Cavendish Jane Cavendish Elizabeth Cavendish Women Poets of the Renaissance London J M Dent 1998 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Elizabeth Cavendish Countess of Bridgewater amp oldid 1164784633, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
