Katherine Stubbes facts for kids
Katherine Stubbes (born 1570 or 1571 – died December 14, 1590) was an Englishwoman. She is mostly known because her husband, Philip Stubbs, wrote a book about her after she died. This book was called A Chrystall Glasse for Christian Women.
The book shared details about Katherine's family, her marriage, and how she behaved as a daughter and wife. It also included her strong religious beliefs and her final goodbyes to her family and friends. The book ended with her saying farewell to Christ.
Her Life Story
Katherine Stubbes was born Katherine Emmes in 1570 or 1571. She was the second-youngest of seven children and the only daughter. Her father, William Emmes, made shoes and was a very religious Puritan. Her mother was from the Netherlands and was also a Puritan. So, Katherine grew up in a very religious home.
Katherine married Philip Stubbs in 1586 when she was fifteen. Philip Stubbs was an English writer and publisher. Her father had already passed away by then. Philip Stubbs was known for his book The Anatomy of Abuses, which criticized England. Because her father had died, Katherine likely needed to marry quickly for money reasons.
In his book, A Chrystall Glasse, Katherine's husband said she was very religious, polite, and always followed rules. She did not eat or drink too much. She would say, "we should eate to live, & not live to eate" (meaning we eat to live, not live to eat). When asked why she didn't care much about earthly things, she would say that being "a friend unto this world…should be an enemie unto God" (meaning being too focused on worldly things makes you an enemy of God).
Katherine never lied or argued. She stayed away from bad behavior and talk. Her husband claimed no one ever said anything bad about her because she lived such a good life. Katherine was very religious, and her short life was centered around her faith and the Bible. Her husband said she almost always had a Bible or another good book in her hands. If she wasn't reading it, she was talking about God's word with her husband.
Katherine lived with her husband for almost four and a half years. During this time, she became pregnant with a son. She often said this would be her last child and that she would "live but to bring that Childe into the world" (meaning she would only live long enough to give birth). Even so, she had a very successful delivery. She was reportedly able to sit up and walk only four or five days later.
Katherine's saying, "I have but a short time to live here [on Earth]," turned out to be true. After seeming to recover fully, she became very sick with a fever and stayed in bed. She barely slept but kept her "perfect understanding, sense, and memory to the last breath." She did not pray to get better. Instead, she prayed to die so she could be with God in Heaven. She constantly asked Jesus to take her from her body. During her final sickness, Katherine asked her neighbors to come to her home so she could share her faith publicly. Katherine died on December 14, 1590, a few weeks after her son was born. She was in Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire and was only 19 years old.
A Chrystall Glasse for Christian Women
Katherine’s husband published A Chrystall Glasse in 1592, two years after she died. The book praised Katherine highly. According to Mr. Stubbs, she was a very good and religious woman. She was meant to be a perfect example for other women, which is why the book was called a "Chrystall Glasse" (a clear mirror).
The full title page of the book said:
- A Chrystall Glasse for Christian Women.
- Containing a most excellent Discourse of the Godly Life and Christian Death of Mistris Katherine Stubs, who departed this life in Burton upon Trent in Stafford-shire, the fourteenth of December.
- With a most heavenly confession of the Christian Faith, which shee made a little before her departure, as also a most wonderfull combat betwixt Satan, and her Soule: worthy to be printed in letters of Gold, and to be engraven in the Table of everie Christian heart.
- Set downe word for word as she spake, as neere as could bee gathered, by Philip Stubbes, Gent.
- Revel.14.verse 13. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord: even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labours, and their workes follow them.
After a few pages about Katherine’s life, the book describes her death in detail. Her confessions of faith just before she died make up most of A Chrystall Glasse. One part, called “A moste heavenly confession of the Christian faith,” shares Katherine’s own religious beliefs. These beliefs were similar to the teachings of the Church of England at that time.
Another part, “A most wonderfull conflict betwixt Sathan and her soule,” describes her arguing with Satan, who seemed to appear before her. She eventually defeats him. In her last moments, she sang a religious song and asked her husband not to be sad. Then, "her breath stayed, and so moving neither hand nor foot she slept sweetly in the Lord" (meaning she passed away peacefully).
What People Thought of the Book
Even though A Chrystall Glasse is a biography, many experts agree it is not completely fair or without a purpose. People can understand the book better by looking at it from different viewpoints, like how it shows women's roles. Philip Stubbs wrote the book, making it seem like he was just telling the facts. However, even though he said he wrote down her exact words, we can't be sure. Katherine herself didn't write the book; her husband did.
The book shows Katherine in a very positive way. This suggests her husband had more reasons for publishing it than just remembering her. Katherine was meant to be a model of the perfect Protestant woman of her time. The book also used Katherine to criticize women who were too focused on buying nice things like fancy food, clothes, and entertainment.
Most importantly, religious women were meant to copy Katherine’s strong faith. This included reading the Bible a lot. Katherine also spoke publicly about her faith, showing she was an active part of her religious community. Her confessions and talks about death were common themes for women in that era.
When people look at A Chrystall Glasse from a modern view, they can see how Katherine might have taken on the ideas of what a woman should be. As the "mirror of womanhood" for her time, the book suggests Katherine seemed to live through her husband. Everything he felt, she felt too.
However, there are also parts of the book that show Katherine was not always the "silent woman" that was expected. For example, she is described as an "active and intelligent disputer against Catholics and atheists." She would strongly defend her faith. Yet, Mr. Stubbs also said she was a model of the "silent woman" and would only discuss religious questions privately at home.
She also showed her strength in other ways. On her deathbed, she clearly told her husband her wishes for her child's education. These different descriptions of Katherine Stubbes make A Chrystall Glasse a book where women could find not just a model of the perfect woman, but also ways to express themselves and have influence, even if it wasn't openly part of the main ideas of the time. The book was very popular, with 34 editions published between 1591 and 1700. This shows it was important to society for a long time.
