Elizabeth Delaval facts for kids

Lady Elizabeth Delaval (born around 1648, died 1717) was a fascinating writer and a secret agent! She wrote about her own life, giving us a peek into what it was like for a young girl from an important family in the 1600s. Her writings also show us how marriages were arranged back then.

Elizabeth Delaval's Early Life

Elizabeth Delaval was the only daughter of James Livingston, 1st Earl of Newburgh. Her father was a Scottish nobleman and a member of the English Parliament. Her mother was Catherine.

In 1649, during the English Civil War, Elizabeth's family had to leave their home in Bagshot, England, and move to The Hague in the Netherlands. The next year, her mother passed away. Elizabeth then went to live with her father's sister in Nocton, England, who raised her.

A Royal Connection

When Elizabeth was 14, in 1662, she became a maid of the privy chamber for Catherine of Braganza, who was the Queen of England at the time. This meant she worked closely with the Queen.

On July 10, 1670, Elizabeth married Robert Delaval. Elizabeth's writings, called Meditations, show that she felt a bit stuck because her future was mostly decided by her father and aunt. Her writings also talk about her spiritual journey and how she used prayer to find peace.

Her Amazing Writings

Elizabeth Delaval's writings cover the years from 1663 to 1672, when she was a teenager and in her early twenties. She wrote about her religious thoughts, prayers, and also about her personal life. She shared details about her family and even her romantic experiences at court.

Her writings are very important because they give us a rare look into daily life and the politics of her time. Historians and literary experts still study her work today to understand more about society and the Jacobite movement.

Marriage and Later Life

Elizabeth stopped writing shortly after she got married. Her writings suggest she wasn't very happy in her marriage, but it lasted until Robert Delaval passed away in 1682.

Elizabeth married again in 1686 to Henry Hatcher. In 1688, she and Henry were involved in a secret plan to hide important papers meant for James II of England. This event is sometimes called the "pewter pot conspiracy."

Because of her involvement, Elizabeth had to leave England and went to France. She and Henry worked for the royal court in St Germain-en-Laye, France. Elizabeth became a secret agent for the Jacobites, traveling between Paris and London in the 1690s.

After James II died, Elizabeth asked many times if she could return to England, but she was never allowed. Even when she became a widow in 1713, her request to come home was still denied.

Elizabeth Delaval passed away in France in 1717, still living in exile.