Purchase these books written during the riegn of Queen Anne Stuart, and more books by Rosemary Morris by visiting her Books We Love author page: http://bookswelove.net/authors/morris-rosemary/
I have written three
historical romances, with strong themes, set in the reign of Queen Anne Stuart,
1702-1714. Tangled Love, Far Beyond Rubies and The Captain and The Countess.
When Queen
Anne Stuart, niece of Charles II, ruled from 1702 to 1714 attitudes towards
children and their education were very different to those in the 21st
century.
Childhood and
Education. Gentlewomen
in early 18th century England.
Little is
known about the nursery, in which babies were fed pap instead of either their
mother’s or a wet nurse’s milk. To entertain infants, those whose parents could
afford them, babies had coral rattles with bells.
Little
girls played with dolls, which were called ‘Babies’. An advertisement read: On Saturday,
last, being the 12th instant, there arrived at my House in King
Street, Covent Garden, a French Baby for the year 1712. Some dolls were made of wax, but these were
the most expensive and so were those in Widow Smith’s raffle, large jointed, dressed Babies. It is
possible that, dolls were girls’ only toys.
Although most
girls were educated at home some of them attended boarding schools. . In
Tangled Love, the heroine’s young sister attends one owned by *Mrs Elizabeth
Tutchin in Highgate, where young
gentlewomen could be soberly educated and taught all sorts of learning fit for young gentlewomen.
It was
considered very important to instil sobriety into pert girls, who probably
ogled men, were always on the lookout for a potential husband and flirted with
fans. For example: *A fan placed near the
heart sent the message “You have won
my love.” Hiding the eyes behind the fan. I love you. Twirling the fan in the left hand. We are being watched.
In addition
to reading, writing and arithmetic, plain sewing and embroidery, town bred
pupils were taught to dance, sing and play the virginals, spinet and guitar.
Other instruction might include painting on glass, wax work and drawing. They
also learned culinary arts - pastry, sweetmeats, sauces and liqueurs.
A clue to
country-bred girls’ education is in the dialogue between characters in The Sowrers by Shadwell, from which I
quote some snippets.
Priscilla. Did she not bestow good breeding upon you
there?
Clara. To see cow’s milk’d, learn to Churn, and
make Cheese? (Presumably neither Clara nor the other young ladies were
expected to milk a cow.)
Eugene And to learn the top of your skill in
Syrrup, Sweetmeats Aqua mirablisi and Snayl Water.
Priscilla. Ay, ay, and ‘twere better for all the
Gentlemen in England that wives had no other breeding, but you had Musick and
Dancing.
A good
housewife was valued. An aunt tells her niece.…she spent her time in better learning than you did. Not in reading
flights of battels of Dwarfs and Giants; but in writing out receipts for
Broths, Possets, Caudles, and Surfeit Waters; as became a good Country
Gentlewoman.
If girls
could not learn the art of making pastry at home, particularly for raised
pastry, there were the forerunners of Cookery Schools.
Whatever
else a gentlewoman’s education lacked it was not dancing. She was taught how to
hold her head, heave her breast, and move with her entire body. If she didn’t
learn to do so correctly, she was threatened with never finding a husband. A
young lady was also expected to learn how to behave at the Tea Table, to
present her snuff box and how to place patches on her face to the best
advantage.
Poor
children could attend Sunday School, where they were taught to read, not for
entertainment, but to study the Bible.
At charity
schools orphans were trained to wash, iron, clean, sew and knit as well as
write and cast accounts. The older girls assisted the housekeeper, and made and
mended the children’s clothes. By the time they left they had been trained to
become domestic servants and, if they were fortunate, to become good
housewives.
*Elizabeth
Tuchin’s brother, worked for the Observater.
*The
Language of The Fan by Micki Gaffney.
Mediaeval Novel
Yvonne, Lady of
Cassio,
set in the turbulent reign of Edward II. Publication date to be announced.
Available as
e-publications and paper backs.
Early 18th
century novels by Rosemary Morris
Tangled Love,
Far Beyond
Rubies
The Captain and
The Countess
Regency novels
False Pretences
Sunday’s
Child Heroines born on different days
of the week. Book 1.
Monday’s Child
Heroines born on different days of the week. Book 2
Tuesday’s Child
Heroines born on different days of the week Book 3
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