Lady Mary Chudleigh

Mary Chudleigh (August 1656, Devon – 1710) was part of an intellectual circle that included Mary Astell, Elizabeth Thomas, Judith Drake, Elizabeth Elstob, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and John Norris.[1] In her later years, she published a book of poetry and two books of essays, all dealing with feminist themes; two of her books went through four editions during the last ten years of her life. Her poetry about human relationships and reactions has been anthologized ever since, and her feminist essays are still being reprinted.[2]

Contents

Personal life

Mary, the daughter of Richard Lee, was born in August 1656, in Winslade in the county of Devon, England. While she, like most women of her time, received little in the way of formal education, she read widely [3] and educated herself in theology, science, and philosophy.[4]

She married Sir George Chudleigh of Ashton, also in Devon. Her biographers argue as to whether their marriage was happy; her references to marriage as a trap that was psychologically stifling for women suggest that she may have had personal experience with an overbearing husband,[5] but on the other hand, he did allow her to publish several feminist works during his lifetime, and her previously-unpublished work was saved carefully by the family after her death.[6] They had at least three children: Eliza Maria, George (later the next Sir George), Thomas, and possibly others.[7]

Little else is known about her life except for the fact that her daughter must have died young, as her grief is mentioned in her letters and some poetry. Mary Chudleigh died in 1710.[8]

Published works

Individual works

Collected works

Correspondence

[10]

Further information

Biographies

Anthologies

References

  1. ^ Sowaal, Alice. "Mary Astell." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2005) 16 December 2006 <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/astell/>.
  2. ^ Gilbert, Sandra M. and Susan Gubar. "Lady Mary Chudleigh." The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women: The Traditions in English. New York: W.W. Norton, 1996. 161.
  3. ^ Colman, G. and B. Thornton. Poems by the Most Eminent Ladies of Great Britain and Ireland. London, T. Becket and T. Evans, 1773. 180-181.Mark-up edition © Drury-Kent, Roxanne, ed. Northern Kentucky University, 2003. <http://www.nku.edu/~issues/eminent_ladies/vol1/master_file_vol_1.html#1 81>.
  4. ^ "Lady Mary Chudleigh Biography." Famous Poets and Poems. 16 December 2006 <http://www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/lady_mary_chudleigh/biography> .
  5. ^ Gilbert, Sandra M. and Susan Gubar. "Lady Mary Chudleigh." The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women: The Traditions in English. New York: W.W. Norton, 1996. 161.
  6. ^ "Lady Mary Chudleigh Biography." Famous Poets and Poems. 16 December 2006 <http://www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/lady_mary_chudleigh/biography> .
  7. ^ Colman, G. and B. Thornton. Poems by the Most Eminent Ladies of Great Britain and Ireland. London, T. Becket and T. Evans, 1773. 180-181. Mark-up edition © Drury-Kent, Roxanne, ed. Northern Kentucky University, 2003. <http://www.nku.edu/~issues/eminent_ladies/vol1/master_file_vol_1.html#1 81>.
  8. ^ Gilbert, Sandra M. and Susan Gubar. "Lady Mary Chudleigh." The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women: The Traditions in English. New York: W.W. Norton, 1996. 161.
  9. ^ Ezell, Margaret J. M. "Selected Bibliography: Mary, Lady Chudleigh)." c18 Bibliographies On-Line. Ed. Jack Lynch. Rutgers, 1999. 16 December 2006 <http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/C18/biblio/chudleigh.html>.
  10. ^ Ezell, Margaret J. M. "Selected Bibliography: Mary, Lady Chudleigh)." c18 Bibliographies On-Line. Ed. Jack Lynch. Rutgers, 1999. 16 December 2006 <http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/C18/biblio/chudleigh.html>.
  11. ^ Ezell, Margaret J. M. "Selected Bibliography: Mary, Lady Chudleigh)." c18 Bibliographies On-Line. Ed. Jack Lynch. Rutgers, 1999. 16 December 2006 <http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/C18/biblio/chudleigh.html>.
  12. ^ Ezell, Margaret J. M. "Selected Bibliography: Mary, Lady Chudleigh)." c18 Bibliographies On-Line. Ed. Jack Lynch. Rutgers, 1999. 16 December 2006 <http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/C18/biblio/chudleigh.html>.
  13. ^ Ezell, Margaret J. M. "Selected Bibliography: Mary, Lady Chudleigh)." c18 Bibliographies On-Line. Ed. Jack Lynch. Rutgers, 1999. 16 December 2006<http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/C18/biblio/chudleigh.html>.
  14. ^ Ezell, Margaret J. M. "Selected Bibliography: Mary, Lady Chudleigh)." c18 Bibliographies On-Line. Ed. Jack Lynch. Rutgers, 1999. 16 December 2006 <http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/C18/biblio/chudleigh.html>.

External links