Elizabeth Clinton, Countess of Lincoln facts for kids

Elizabeth Clinton, Countess of Lincoln (née Knyvet; around 1570–1638), was an English noblewoman and a writer. She held the title of Countess of Lincoln from 1616 until her husband, Thomas Clinton, 3rd Earl of Lincoln, passed away in 1619. After that, she was known as the Dowager Countess. She became well-known for her small book about raising children, called The Countess of Lincoln's Nursery, which received a lot of praise.

Who Was Elizabeth Clinton?

Elizabeth was the younger daughter of Sir Henry Knyvet. He was a member of Parliament (MP) from Charlton Park, Wiltshire. Her mother was Elizabeth Stumpe. Elizabeth was also a co-heiress, meaning she was one of two daughters who would inherit property from her father. Her grandfather on her mother's side was a successful merchant named Sir James Stumpe.

Her Big Family

Elizabeth married her future husband, who would become an earl, on September 21, 1584. They had a very large family with 18 children! Some of their children included:

• Theophilus Clinton, 4th Earl of Lincoln (1599–1667). He became the next Earl of Lincoln. He had children with his first wife, Bridget Fiennes.
• Henry Clinton (born 1595)
• Thomas Clinton (born 1596)
• Lady Arbella Clinton (1597-1630). She married Isaac Johnson.
• Lady Susan Clinton. She married John Humphrey. They moved to America but later returned to England in 1641.
• Edward Clinton (born 1600)
• Lady Frances Clinton. She married John Gorges, who was a Lord Proprietor of the Province of Maine. This meant he was a powerful owner of land in that area.
• Ann Clinton (baptized March 3, 1602)
• Charles Clinton (born 1604)
• Knyvett Clinton (born 1605)
• John Clinton
• Lady Dorcas Clinton (born 1614)
• Lady Sara Clinton (born 1615)

Her Helpful Book: The Countess of Lincoln's Nursery

In 1622, Elizabeth Clinton wrote a special book of advice. She wrote it for her daughter-in-law, Bridget. The book was titled The Countess of Lincoln's Nursery. It shared ideas from earlier books about raising children by Elizabeth Jocelin and Dorothy Leigh. Elizabeth also added her own experiences as a mother of 18 children!

In her book, she praised her daughter-in-law, Bridget, for choosing to breast-feed her own children. Elizabeth Clinton wrote that she regretted not doing the same for her own babies.

A doctor and writer named Thomas Lodge wrote an introduction for Elizabeth's book. He praised it because it was short and to the point. He also liked that it talked about a topic that people didn't often discuss back then. Thomas Goad, who helped publish a new version of the book in 1632, called Elizabeth Clinton "a deputed mother for instruction." This meant he saw her as a special guide for parents.