[MR] Fwd: RE: Female scribes in Tudor England

[David Chessler]

Remember, too, Christine de Pisan (not Pisa) writing "City of Women" in Paris.


------ Original Message ------
Received: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:20:41 AM EDT
From:  ilbloom@ 
Subject: RE: [MR] Female scribes in Tudor England


It would also make a lot of sense for female writing teachers of noblemen's
daughters. Less danger of the Abelard/Eloise effect.In general aristocratic
women had more freedom than ordinary ones- a key distinction of Western
European society and probably one of the leading reasons for its triumph. By
the late 19th century in England, scarcely a libertine society, a posh lady
was expected to stay faithful to her husband until the first male heir was
born. After that, legitimacy was presumed and women could pursue, discreetly,
their own hearts. Typically in the grand country weekends of Edwardian England
a servant would walk down the bedrooms corridor at five am ringing a bell and
seemingly oblivious to the doors opening and closing behind them as assorted
folks went back to their own bedrooms.Perhaps this was why Winston Churchill,
the second son of the Duke of Marlborough was of an utterly different sort
from his dull elder brother.

> Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:59:53 -0400
> From: chessler at usa.net
> To: ilbloom@ 
> Subject: Fwd: [MR] Female scribes in Tudor England
> 
> 
> 
> ------ Original Message ------
> Received: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 08:37:17 AM EDT
> From: Danielle Scott
> <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>
> Subject: [MR] Female scribes in Tudor England
> 
> 
> 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 
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