By Elizabeth Pearce Madame de Maintenon (France 1635-1719) Born Françoise d’Aubigné on November 27, 1635 in a building adjacent to the prison of Niort, where her father, Constant d’Aubigné was serving a sentence for various crimes, including rape, murder, and creating and using counterfeit money.[1] Her mother was Jeanne de Cardillac, a “prudent and amiable…
Tag Archive for Age of Discovery
Anne Oldfield
by Lindsay Smith Anne Oldfield (1683-1730) Oldfield, commonly known as “Nance,” was born to Anne Gourlaw and William Oldfield in Pall-Mall, London, c. 1683.[1] Her father was likely a soldier but he died while she was young, leaving Oldfield and her mother in a difficult financial state.[2] Oldfield labored as a seamstress until around the…
Tarquinia Molza
by Penelope Whitworth Tarquinia Molza (1542-1617) Italian virtuosa singer who was a notable courtier, celebrated musician and acclaimed intellectual of her time. In addition to performing, she was probably an instructor and advisor to the concerto delle donne of the court of Ferrara where she was a lady-in-waiting to the Duchess, Margherita Gonzaga-Este.[1] In 1589…
Lucrezia Marinella
by Lindsay Smith Lucrezia Marinella (c.1571-1653) also known as Lucrezia Marinelli Vacca, was born in Venice, Italy[1] to the physician and natural philosopher Giovanni Marinelli. Nothing is known of Marinella’s mother; she may have died in childbirth. [2] Giovanni Marinelli wrote several books on natural philosophy, rhetoric, and medicine, including female medicine and beauty. His…
Elena Lucrezia Cornaro
by Koren Whipp Elena Lucrezia Cornaro also Cornaro-Piscopia (1646-84), philosopher and the first known woman to earn a Doctor of Philosophy. She was born in the Republic of Venice, the fifth daughter of Giovanni Battista Cornaro-Piscopia, Procurator of St. Mark’s, the second highest office only to the Doge, and Zanetta Giovanna Boni. Cornaro began…
Mary Sidney
by Eliana Greenberg Mary Sidney Herbert, Countess of Pembroke (1561-1621) was born in 1561 in Worcestershire, England, to Sir Henry Sidney and Lady Mary Dudley Sidney. Sir Henry Sidney served as Lord President of the Council in the Marches of Wales from 1559 to 1586, and then as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1565 to…
Anne Halkett
By Eliana Greenberg and Koren Whipp Lady Anne Halkett (née Murray) (c. 1621/2–99) was the daughter of Thomas Murray, tutor to the children of King James I and later Provost of Eton College, and Jane Drummond, governess to the children of King Charles I and his wife Henrietta Maria of France . Her mother was…
Antoinette Bourignon
by Veronica Cassidy Antoinette Bourignon (1616-1680) was born January 13th, 1616, to a Flemish family in Lille, France. At a time when established religions did not allow women leaders, Bourignon became one of a number of prominent female theologists – among them, Anna Maria van Schurman, with whom Bourignon exchanged letters. Bourignon claimed variously to…
Ninon de l’Enclos
by Koren Whipp Ninon de l’Enclos 1620-1705 was a French courtesan and author. She was born in Paris on 9 January 1623.[1] When l’Enclos was fourteen her father, Henri de Lenclos, deserted the family home due to legal problems. Her mother, Marie Barbe Abra de Raconis, prostituted the young Ninon to help support them.[2] As a…
Jane Lane, Lady Fisher
by Koren Whipp Jane Lane, Lady Fisher c. 1613/25[1]–1689 was the daughter of Thomas Lane and Anne Bagot of Staffordshire. She became Lady Fisher on 8 December 1662 when she married Sir Clement Fisher. Lane played a daring role in the escape of Charles II in 1651. After the Battle of Worcester in 1651 in…
Mary Armyne
Mary Armine by Frederick Hendrik van Hove, after Unknown artist line engraving, published 1683 by Veronica Cassidy Lady Mary Armyne (née Talbot), England (1594-1676) Born into a prominent Protestant family, Lady Mary Armyne, or Armine, was known for her business acumen and pious charity. She studied French, Latin, history, and theology, and was well versed…
Marie le Jars de Gournay
by Koren Whipp Marie le Jars de Gournay (1565-1645) French writer, editor, literary critic, translator, novelist, poet, and philosopher. She was born in Paris and raised in Gournay-sur-Aronde. Her father, Guillaume Le Jars was treasurer to King Henri III of France. In 1568 he obtained feudal rights to the Gournay estate in Picardy, and in…
Mary Beale
by Koren Whipp Mary Beale 1632-99 was one of the most important portrait painters of 17th century England and has been described as the first professional female English painter. Beale was also celebrated for her poetical talents; versions of her psalms are included in A Paraphrase upon the Psalms of David (1667) by Dr. Samuel…
Jacqueline-Marie-Angélique Arnauld
by Gina Luria Walker Jacqueline-Marie-Angélique Arnauld, called La Mère Angélique 1591 – 1661, one of twenty children and five sisters, was given to the worldly convent of Port-Royal des Champs near Paris against her wishes, by her parents because they couldn’t afford her dowry. Abbess Johanna von Boulehart chose Angélique as her successor at the…
Sarra Copia Sullam
By Ruth Palmer Sarra Copia Sullam was born to a prominent Italian Jewish family in Venice around 1592. Her parents were Simon and Ricca Copia, and her sisters were Rachel (Diana) and Esther (Ster). Sarra was educated in the basics of Jewish and Italian culture, and was most likely learned in several languages, including Hebrew, Latin,…
Anna Maria van Schurman
by Koren Whipp Anna Maria van Schurman (1607–1678) Born in Cologne, Germany to father, Frederik van Schurman and mother, Eva von Harf, van Shurman lived most of her life in Utrecht, Holland, where she became renowned for her knowledge of theology, philosophy, medicine, and, at least 14 languages (Dutch, German, French, English, Italian, Latin, Greek,…
Aphra Behn
by Lindsay Smith Aphra Behn (c. 1640-89) Born in Harbledown, England, the details of Behn’s early life are unclear.[1] She may have been born to a barber and his wife[2] but there are also accounts that her father was a military man who was appointed Lieutenant-general of Surinam. [3] Some scholars of her work…
Ann Baynard
by Penelope Whitworth Ann Baynard (1672/3–97) Born in Preston, Lancashire, England. As a child she was educated by her father Edward Baynard in science, mathematics, philosophy, and classical languages and literature. By her early twenties, she had become a ‘subtle disputant’ in the ‘hard and knotty Arguments of Metaphysical Learning.’ [1] She perfected her knowledge…
Mary Astell
By Penelope Whitworth Mary Astell (1666–1731), philosopher, rhetorician, and advocate for women’s education. She was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, to Peter Astell , a coal merchant, and his wife, Mary, daughter of George Errington, also a coal merchant in Newcastle.[1] Her paternal uncle, Ralph Astell, curate of St Nicholas’s, Newcastle upon Tyne, was…
