[MR] Female scribes in Tudor England

[Danielle Scott]

In my search to find out the information on whether there were female scribes in England I went many routes including thinking of convent life and such.  My Mom finally gave me the idea that I should look up guilds in England and research centers.  I did and was able to contact the lead librarian for the historical society and Internation Research Centre for Calligraphy, who was luckily at a conference and spoke to Ewan Clayton, a professor in calligraphy history and one of the leading experts on calligraphy during the Renaissance, the following information came back to me:
 
Dear Danielle,
I have talked to Ewan Clayton and yes, you have a story!

Henry VIII insisted that his children learned writing skills and so that's why we see queen Elizabeth 1st having such an accomplished hand. So it was the fashion at court and therefore elsewhere, for nobles, especially those closest to him, to employ writing masters to teach people writing skills, and one would have been very likely to come in for a certain time to teach the family of a nobleman. While there, they would also take on the tasks of preparing prayer books for the family and herbals.
 
These writing masters initially were Flemish so came over from continental Europe to do this. Some of the writing teachers were also daughters of the writing masters, taught by their fathers to pass on the skills.  Therefore you are the highly skilled daughter of a Flemish writing master, employed by the nobleman to teach his family to write like the Royal children.
How's that? Sounds a convincing argument to me. And thank you, I have learnt a lot too!
Let me know what happens and good luck.
Sue

Sue Hufton
International Research Centre for Calligraphy
14 Well Street
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 1EQ
 


In Service to our King, Queen & Fair Atlantia, 
Lady Daniela Schwartzhaupt 
Orders of the Pearl and Golden Dolphin 
Haus Zwerg Burge 
www.trscribe.com

Life is but a dream and we are all the background of each others. Lets not make them nightmares!