Elizabeth Rose, Lady of Kilravock facts for kids
Elizabeth Rose, 19th Baroness of Kilravock (born March 8, 1747 – died November 1, 1815) was an important Scottish writer and literary critic in the 1700s. She was known for her love of reading and her smart opinions on books.
Her Life Story
Elizabeth Rose was born on March 8, 1747, in a place called Kilravock in Scotland. Her father was Hugh Rose, the 17th Baron of Kilravock, and her mother was Elizabeth Clephane.
She was educated at home, just like her brothers, and only by men. This was quite unusual for girls back then. She even played the violin, holding it like men did, against her shoulder. Her uncle, John Clephane, once told her that reading and writing were very important, but music was more for fun than serious study.
In 1779, she married Dr. Hugh Rose of Broadley. Sadly, he passed away just two years later. They had two children together. After her brother, who was the 18th Baron, died, there was a long five-year argument over who would inherit the family estates. Elizabeth won the right to most of the lands, including Kilravock Castle. In 1788, she officially became the 19th Baroness of Kilravock and moved into the castle. Being a Baroness meant she was a noble lady in charge of the family's lands and title.
Elizabeth loved to read. She might have been the Scottish woman from the 1700s whose reading habits are best recorded. Between 1775 and 1780 alone, she read 217 books! Reading helped her grow as a person and prepared her for life. She faced many challenges, like the early deaths of her father, brothers, and husband.
People who knew her said she was a wonderful friend and the life of any party. She was a funny storyteller and could even mimic people well. The famous poet Robert Burns described her as a "true chieftain's wife." He said she had "sterling sense, warm heart, strong passions, honest pride, all in an uncommon degree."
Elizabeth Rose passed away on November 1, 1815. As she wished, she was buried in the old St. Mary's chapel of Geddes. Her coffin rested on birch trees cut from her own Kilravock estate. Her son, Hugh, became the 20th Baron of Kilravock after her.
Her Work and Influence
Elizabeth Rose was not just a reader; she was also a respected voice in the literary world.
As a Critic
Rose became known for her "indiscriminate and voracious reading," meaning she read widely and eagerly. She loved to share her reading experiences with others. She actively tried to teach younger women how to think about and understand books. She had many friends, including Euphemia Russel, the mother of Cosmo Innes, and moved in important social circles.
Her reputation spread far and wide. By the end of the 1700s, she was so well-known that even Anne Grant, who had never met her, was encouraged by Rose's praise of her writing. Grant said Rose's "elegant criticisms" were like a "cork jacket" that helped her feel confident enough to publish her own work.
Elizabeth Rose also wrote poems, but she only shared them privately with her friends. She became an author more by chance than by planning. Her most famous works are her personal journals, called commonplace books, and her many letters.
Commonplace Books
From 1771 until her death in 1815, Elizabeth kept a journal. In these journals, she wrote down every book she read. She also copied out interesting parts from those books into a series of large commonplace books. These books were like personal scrapbooks or notebooks where she collected things she found valuable or needed. They included financial records for her estate, along with her yearly lists of books on literature, philosophy, history, and science.
In one of her commonplace books, called "Poems," Rose copied poetry by famous writers like Samuel Johnson and Horace Walpole. She even edited their poems to fit her own ideas about poetry. On her personal copy of Mary Robinson’s book A Letter to the Women of England, Rose added many names to the "List of British Female Literary Characters." She also shortened David Hume's long book, The History of England, and included parts from another writer's continuation of it. In her last commonplace book, she copied a long section from James Beattie's writings that criticized Hume's ideas.
At least 10 of her commonplace books still exist today. Some people believe only nine of them can definitely be linked to Elizabeth Rose.
Her Letters
Elizabeth Rose wrote many letters throughout her life. She is now best known for the letters she exchanged with her cousin, Henry Mackenzie. Mackenzie wrote her 127 letters between 1768 and 1815. Parts of these letters were later published in a book called Letters to Elizabeth Rose of Kilravock on literature events and people 1768-1815. These letters show that Mackenzie often shared parts of his books with her and asked for her thoughts as he was writing them. After sending her chapters from his novel A Man of Feeling, Mackenzie wrote, "I am proud of having drawn a female character so much to your liking." They didn't always agree, though. In another letter, he wrote, "You are hard on me for my idea of inferiority in your sex," showing they had different views on the role of women.
Henry Mackenzie also gave Robert Burns a letter introducing him to Elizabeth Rose before Burns' trip to the Highlands in 1787. During one of Burns' visits, Rose's niece sang two Scottish folk songs. At Burns' request, Elizabeth wrote down these songs and sent them to him. In 1796, one of these songs was published in a music collection and was titled "Mrs. Rose of Kilravock's Strathspey."
