Elizabeth Shirley facts for kids

Elizabeth Shirley (born in 1564 – died on September 1, 1641) was an English nun and writer. She was part of the Augustinian order. Born in England, she later moved to Leuven (a city in Belgium) where she helped start a special religious community called a convent. Elizabeth Shirley might have been the first woman to write a biography (a book about someone's life) of another woman, in the English language.

Her Early Life

Elizabeth Shirley was born in 1564, probably in an area of England called Leicestershire. She was one of eight children born to Sir John Shirley.

When she was older, Elizabeth went to live in a place called Staunton Harold in Leicestershire. Her job there was to help look after her brother, Sir George Shirley, who was not married yet. Her brother was a Catholic, and he tried to convince Elizabeth to join his religion. At first, she didn't want to, but after reading books, hearing stories, and having a special spiritual experience, she decided to become Catholic.

Becoming a Nun

After her brother got married, Elizabeth was no longer needed at Staunton Harold. She had to decide what to do next. She could either get married herself or become a nun. She chose to become a nun, even though at that time, convents for English women were usually located in other countries.

Elizabeth joined an Augustinian convent in Leuven, Belgium, called St. Ursula's. She officially became a nun there on September 10, 1596. Even though St. Ursula's was a Flemish (Belgian) convent, it was led by an English woman named Margaret Clement. Because of this, many English women who wanted to become nuns joined this convent.

Starting a New Convent

In 1606, Margaret Clement retired from leading St. Ursula's. A new leader, who was Flemish, was chosen. Some of the English nuns, including Elizabeth Shirley, were not happy with this change. They wanted an English nun, Mary Wiseman, to be the new leader.

Because they were unhappy, a group of six nuns decided to start their own English convent. This new convent was also in Leuven and was named St. Monica's. Elizabeth Shirley played a very important role in starting St. Monica's. She was chosen to manage the money for the project.

The new convent, St. Monica's, officially opened on February 10, 1609. Elizabeth Shirley was the leader of this new house for about nine months. In November of that year, another nun was chosen to be the main leader, and Elizabeth took on the role of "sub-prioress," which means she was the second-in-command.

Her Writings

Around 1616 or 1626, Elizabeth Shirley wrote a book that is now believed to be the very first biography of a woman, written by a woman, in the English language. She chose to write about the life of Margaret Clement, the English nun who used to lead St. Ursula's convent in Leuven.

Elizabeth Shirley stopped being the sub-prioress in 1637. She passed away at St. Monica's convent in Leuven on September 1, 1641, and was buried there.