Anne Halkett

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Lady Anne Halkett

Lady Anne Halkett (* around 1623 as Anne Murray; † 1699 ) was an English writer who was best known for her autobiography and her religious writings.

Life

Halkett's father, Thomas Murray, was initially tutor to the children of James I before becoming Provost at Eton College . Her mother was a governess at the court of Jacob. After the death of Thomas Murray, Anne Halkett was tutored by her mother. Her education included the French language , dance, medicine, music, handicraft, religion and surgery . She had an extensive religious education, prayed daily, read the Bible, and attended church regularly.

Halkett's first relationship was with Thomas Howard, who came from a respectable family but was not wealthy. For this reason, marriage was out of the question for both families for economic reasons, which caused Halkett emotional problems. To dissuade her from making a decision that she thought was unreasonable, her mother let a guard sleep in her room and forbade her to see Howard. Halkett complied with her mother's instructions and said goodbye to Howard blindfolded. However, this resulted in a falling out with her mother that lasted over 14 months. Although Howard had vowed never to marry any other woman, he later broke that promise. Halkett later described this marriage as an unhappy one in her writings.

Halkett later had a relationship with Cavalier Colonel Joseph Bampfield. Together with him she undertook some risky maneuvers for the cause of the royalists in the English Civil War ; so they freed James, Duke of York (who later became James II ) from captivity by Halkett disguising him as a woman and enabled him to escape to The Hague . Halkett appears to have lived with Bampfield, who pretended to be a widower, on the promise of a later marriage; however, she later learned that his wife was still alive.

Halkett practiced medicine in Scotland before becoming governess in the household of Sir James Halkett, a widower with two daughters. In 1656 she married him. During her first pregnancy, she wrote The Mother's Will to her Unborn Child . That manuscript is lost today.

Halkett was happily married to Sir James for 20 years. After his death, her financial means were insufficient to support her family, which is why she taught children from noble families. Her economic situation improved when James II awarded her a pension for her services in the English Civil War.

On her death, Halkett left behind 21 volumes of folio and quarto manuscripts written between 1644 and the late 1690s. Today these are in the National Library of Scotland .

plant

Halkett's work includes an extensive autobiography, written around 1677, religious reflections, and the Instructions for Youth . She found her writing, reflecting on her reading, her dreams, and her hopes for her children, both as part of her everyday obligations and a pleasure. Her religious writings seem to have originated over a period of 55 years between 1644 and 1699.

Halkett's autobiography (which is titled Autobiography or Memoirs , depending on the edition ) is considered an open-hearted record of personal experiences and political events during the English Civil War. It is said to have been created between 1677 and 1678. In it, Halkett provides a detailed account of her relationships with men and their marriage. She is characterized by a suspenseful narrative style, in which dialogue scenes are used to capture both her own feelings and those of her lovers.

bibliography

  • Instructions for Youth: For the Use of those young Noblemen and Gentleman, whose Education was committed to her Care. (1701)
  • Meditations on the twentieth and fifth Psalm (1701)
  • Meditations upon the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, mentioned Isaiah XI. 2, 3. As also, meditations upon Jabez his request, ... Together with sacramental meditations on the Lords Supper; and prayers, pious reflections and observations. (1702)

literature

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e Lorna Sage : The Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English . Cambridge University Press , September 30, 1999, ISBN 0-521-66813-1 , pp. 299 and 300.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h P. Cerasano, Marion Wynne-Davies: Renaissance Drama by Women . Routledge (UK) January 1, 1996, ISBN 0-415-09806-8 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h Charlotte F. Otten: English Women's Voices, 1540–1700 . University Press of Florida , January 1, 1992, ISBN 0-8130-1099-3 .
  4. ↑ a b Anita Pacheco: A Companion to Early Modern Women's Writing . Blackwell Publishing , July 1, 2002, ISBN 0-631-21702-9 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Halkett, Anne
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Murray, Anne (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English writer
DATE OF BIRTH around 1623
DATE OF DEATH 1699