Elizabeth Cary, Viscountess Falkland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lady Falkland
portrait c. 1620
Born	1585 (1585) Burford Priory, Oxfordshire, England
Died	1639 (aged 53–54) London, England
Occupation	Poet, translator, dramatist
Period	1598–1639
Notable works	The Tragedy of Mariam
Spouse	Henry Cary, 1st Viscount Falkland
Relatives	Lawrence Tanfield (father); Elizabeth Symondes (mother)

Elizabeth Cary, Viscountess Falkland (born Elizabeth Tanfield; 1585–1639) was an English poet, playwright, translator, and historian. She was the first woman known to write and publish an original play in English. This play was called The Tragedy of Mariam. Even when she was young, people knew she was a very talented scholar.

Biography of Elizabeth Cary

Early Life and Learning

Elizabeth Tanfield was born in 1585 in Burford Priory, Oxfordshire. She was the only child of Sir Lawrence Tanfield and Elizabeth Symondes. Her father was a lawyer who became a very important judge.

Elizabeth's parents supported her love for reading and learning. She loved books so much that her mother even stopped servants from giving her candles to read at night!

When she was five, Elizabeth had a French teacher. She was speaking French fluently just five weeks later. After mastering French, she taught herself Spanish, Italian, Latin, Hebrew, and Transylvanian. Other writers, like Michael Drayton, praised her amazing skills.

Marriage and Family Life

At 15, Elizabeth's father arranged for her to marry Sir Henry Cary. He later became Viscount Falkland. He married her because she was an heiress, meaning she would inherit a lot of money.

When Elizabeth moved into her husband's home, her mother-in-law told her she was not allowed to read. So, Elizabeth spent her free time writing poetry instead.

Seven years after they married, Elizabeth and Henry started their family. They had eleven children in total. These included Catherine (1609–1625), Lucius (who became the second Viscount Falkland; 1610–1643), and Anne (c.1614–1671).

In 1622, her husband became the Lord Deputy of Ireland. Elizabeth joined him in Dublin. There, she met many important Catholic people and supported Catholic writers. This might have led to her becoming Catholic herself.

Her oldest daughter, Catherine, died during childbirth. Before she died, Catherine said she saw the Virgin Mary. This deeply affected Elizabeth. It made her want to convert her other children to Catholicism. Eventually, four of her daughters became nuns, and her son Henry became a priest.

Challenges and Later Years

By 1625, Elizabeth Cary's father had removed her from his will before he died. This was because she used some of her own money (called a jointure) to help her husband. The money her father intended for her went to her eldest son, Lucius, who had debts.

In 1626, Elizabeth returned from Ireland and publicly announced she was Catholic. Her husband tried to divorce her because of this, but he failed. However, he stopped her from seeing their children. He also refused to give her financial support, hoping she would change her mind about her faith. She was even banned from court in November 1626 for attending a Catholic mass without permission.

After her husband died in 1633, Elizabeth tried to get her children back. She was questioned in the Star Chamber, a special court, for taking her sons. She had already gotten her daughters back more easily. Even though she was threatened with jail, there is no record of her being punished.

In 1634, four of her daughters — Elizabeth, Mary, Lucy, and Anne — became Catholic. King Charles I heard about this. He ordered the four girls to be taken from their mother's house. They were sent to Great Tew, a large estate owned by her son Lucius.

Elizabeth Cary, Lady Falkland, died in London in 1639. She was buried in a chapel in Somerset House.

Elizabeth Cary's Writings

Elizabeth Cary believed poetry was the highest form of writing. Many of her poems are now lost. However, her love for poetry is clear in her plays.

Her most famous play, The Tragedy of Mariam, the Fair Queen of Jewry (published in 1613), was written in a poetic style called iambic pentameter. This play was the first original English play published by a woman.

Elizabeth Cary also wrote The History of the Life, Reign, and Death of Edward II. This book was a political story based on real historical events. It was not published until 1680, many years after she died. The book used the story of King Edward II to comment on King Charles I's problems with Parliament. Elizabeth Cary knew the powerful Duke of Buckingham and his family. Writing The History might have been her way of dealing with having to rely on them. She wrote about how having "favourites" in power can lead to bad results.

Besides The Tragedy of Mariam and The History, most of Elizabeth Cary's original works are lost. Even so, her work has become very important to study since the 1990s.

Works by Elizabeth Cary

• The mirror of the world, a translation of Abraham Ortelius's Le mirroir du monde (1598)
• The Tragedy of Mariam, the Fair Queen of Jewry (published 1613)
• Reply of the most Illustrious Cardinal of Perron (1630)
• The History of the Life, Reign and Death of Edward II, or The History of the most Unfortunate Prince, King Edward II (published 1680)

Images for kids

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  This portrait is thought to be Elizabeth Cary by William Larkin.

See also

In Spanish: Elizabeth Cary para niños