Elizabeth Cavendish, Countess of Bridgewater facts for kids

Elizabeth Egerton, Countess of Bridgewater (born Lady Elizabeth Cavendish; 1626 – 14 July 1663) was an English writer. She was known for her poems, plays, and personal writings. She married into the powerful Egerton family.

Early Life and Writing

Elizabeth Cavendish was born in 1626. Her father was William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle. He was a writer and supported many artists. He encouraged Elizabeth's interest in books and writing from a young age. Famous writers like Ben Jonson and John Dryden were often around her family.

Elizabeth wrote many things, and some of her works are still available today. She created several collections of her writings by hand.

Marriage and Family Life

In 1641, when she was fifteen, Elizabeth married John Egerton. He was also known as Lord Brackley. Her mother, Elizabeth Bassett, passed away in 1643. Later, her father married another well-known writer, Margaret Cavendish.

During the English Civil War, Elizabeth's father and brothers moved to France. However, Elizabeth and her sisters, Jane and Frances, stayed at their family home in Nottinghamshire. This home was under attack until 1645. After that, Elizabeth moved to her husband's home. There, she was mostly safe from the war.

Early Writings and Plays

During this time, Elizabeth created her first collection of writings. It was an anthology of poems and plays. She wrote it with her sister, Jane Cavendish. The collection was called Poems Songs a Pastorall and a Play by the Right Honorable the Lady Jane Cavendish and Lady Elizabeth Brackley.

One play from this collection was The Concealed Fansyes. This play is about two main characters who want to have an "equal marriage." They teach the young men, Courtley and Praesumption, who had planned to "train" them, to respect their wishes.

Later Writings and Personal Reflections

Elizabeth's last collection of writings is known as the "Loose Papers." This collection includes prayers, meditations, and essays. Some of these were written when her children were sick or passed away. Only four of her ten children lived to be adults. She also wrote about her experiences with pregnancy and childbirth.

In one of her writings, she expressed thanks for a safe birth:

O Lord, I knowe thou mightest have smothered this my Babe in the wombe, but thou art ever mercyfull, and hast at this time brought us both from greate dangers, and me from the greate torture of childbirth.

This shows her deep feelings about the challenges and joys of having children in her time.

Elizabeth Egerton passed away on 14 July 1663, after giving birth to her tenth child. She was buried at Ashridge, Hertfordshire. Her handwritten works are kept in different libraries today. Her essays about marriage and being a widow give us a special look into the thoughts of a woman in the 1600s.