Isaac Stephens - The Gentlewomans Remembrance: Patriarchy, Piety, and Singlehood in Early Stuart England

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DR ALEXANDRA GAJDA

PROFESSOR ANTHONY MILTON

PROFESSOR PETER LAKE

DR JASON PEACEY

This important series publishes monographs that take a fresh and challenging look at the interactions between politics, culture and society in Britain between 1500 and the mid-eighteenth century. It counteracts the fragmentation of current historiography through encouraging a variety of approaches which attempt to redefine the political, social and cultural worlds, and to explore their interconnection in a flexible and creative fashion. All the volumes in the series question and transcend traditional interdisciplinary boundaries, such as those between political history and literary studies, social history and divinity, urban history and anthropology. They thus contribute to a broader understanding of crucial developments in early modern Britain.

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The gentlewoman's remembrance

Patriarchy, piety, and singlehood in early Stuart England

ISAAC STEPHENS

Manchester University Press

Copyright Isaac Stephens 2016

The right of Isaac Stephens to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Published by Manchester University Press

Altrincham Street, Manchester M1 7JA

www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data applied for

ISBN 978 1 7849 9143 2 hardback

First published 2016

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by Toppan Best-set Premedia Limited

No book is solely the product of just one person, and this is definitely true for this monograph. My awareness of Elizabeth Isham occurred well over a decade ago when Tom Cogswell sat me down in his office and revealed that he had stumbled on her Booke of Rememberance while he spent a day on Princeton University's campus snooping about the Firestone Library's special collections. That meeting was fortuitous, for it ultimately laid the seeds for this present study of Elizabeth's life and world. Consequently, no words can express my enormous debt to Tom not only did he steer me towards the foundational source of this book but he has also served as an inspiring mentor since my time as a graduate student under his guidance. Equally crucial mentorship has come from Peter Lake and Ann Hughes, who have both intently listened to me talk about Elizabeth over the years and have read many versions of the book manuscript. Their suggestions, insights, support, and friendship have greatly impacted the final product, as well as influenced my growth as a historian. I am also grateful for other colleagues, peers, and friends who have served as sounding boards for ideas and have offered thoughtful advice, particularly Bill Bulman, Elizabeth Clarke, David Como, Anne Cotterill, Richard Cust, Michael Drake, Lori Anne Ferrell, Ken Fincham, Paul Hammer, Heidi Brayman Hackel, Randolph Head, Steve Hindle, Dale Kent, Krista Kesselring, Paul Lim, Erica Longfellow, Noah Millstone, Rupa Mishra, Jason Peacey, Mary Robertson, Sandy Solomon, Tim Stretton, Denise Thomas, Amos Tubb, and Vanessa Wilkie. Of course, without various sources of financial support especially those that came in the forms of a postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University and a National Endowment of the Humanities Long-Term Fellowship at the Henry E. Huntington Library this book would never have seen the light of day, since they have given me the time and means to research and write. Moreover, I am conscious of the invaluable research assistance that I have received at such repositories as the British Library, Clarke Library, the Firestone Library, the Huntington Library, the National Archives, and the Northamptonshire Record Office. My family has also greatly contributed, and I owe special thanks to my father, mother, and grandmother, the latter to whom I dedicate this book. Finally, no debt is greater than the one I owe Kathleen McGuire she has lived nearly as long as I have with Elizabeth Isham in her life, and has read and commented on countless drafts and thoughts of mine. Thank you, Kath, for always being in my corner and being a wonderful spouse.

Portions of this book have appeared in previous incarnations in the following articles: The Courtship and Singlehood of Elizabeth Isham, 16301634, The Historical Journal, 51 (2008), 125; My Cheefest Work: The Making of the Spiritual Autobiography of Elizabeth Isham, Midland History, 34 (2009), 181203; Confessional Identity in Early Stuart England: The Prayer Book Puritanism of Elizabeth Isham, Journal of British Studies, 50 (2011), 2447. Quotations from the Booke of Rememberance are here printed by permission of the Manuscripts Division, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library; quotations from materials in the Isham Collection, Northamptonshire Record Office (NRO), printed by permission of the Lamport Hall Trust.