Lucy Hutchinson facts for kids
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Lucy Hutchinson (born Apsley; 29 January 1620 – October 1681) was an English writer, poet, and translator. She was the first person to translate the entire book De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things) by Lucretius into English poetry. She did this during a time in England called the Interregnum (1649–1660), when there was no king.
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Biography
Lucy Apsley was born on 29 January 1620. Her father, Sir Allen Apsley, was in charge of the Tower of London, which is where she was born. She was named after her mother, Lady Lucy St John. Lucy was the second of ten children in her family.
On 3 July 1638, Lucy married Colonel John Hutchinson. She believed that he was partly drawn to her because she was smart and loved poetry. In 1649, John Hutchinson was one of the people who signed the order to execute King Charles I. However, he later disagreed with Oliver Cromwell taking too much power.
Life After the King's Return
After the king returned to power in 1660, a time known as the Restoration, Lucy's husband was arrested. This was because of his role in the execution of King Charles I. He was put in prison at Sandown Castle, Kent. Lucy tried to get him released by speaking to the House of Lords, but she was not successful. In 1664, John Hutchinson died while still in prison. His death greatly affected Lucy and her writing, especially a series of poems she wrote called "Elegies."
Lucy was a very religious person, following the Puritan faith. She held strong to her beliefs. She died in October 1681 at Owthorpe and was buried in her husband's tomb.
Literary Works
Lucy Hutchinson is important in literary history for several reasons. She wrote a biography of her husband, and she also created poetry and translations.
Biography: Memoirs of the Life of Colonel Hutchinson
Lucy's book, Memoirs of the Life of Colonel Hutchinson, tells us a lot about the lives of Puritans during the English Civil War. She wrote this book for her family, but a family member later published it in 1806. It became a very popular and important story about that time. In the book, Lucy wrote that John Hutchinson won many battles in the Civil War. One important victory was at Shelford Manor on 27 October 1645. In this battle, he defeated a relative, Colonel Philip Stanhope. Lucy may have even seen the battle, as their home in Owthorpe was only a few miles away.
Translation: De Rerum Natura
Lucy Hutchinson is known as the first named person to translate the complete text of Lucretius's De Rerum Natura into English poetry. She likely started this translation in the 1650s. In 1675, she gave a handwritten copy of her translation to Arthur Annesley, who supported writers. She said the work went against her Puritan beliefs. This handwritten copy was later sold to the British Library in 1853. Her translation was first published in 1996 and then again in 2018.
Poetry
A collection of Lucy Hutchinson's original poems was found in a handwritten book. These poems, called the "Elegies," include 23 different pieces. In these poems, Lucy expressed her sadness about her husband's death. She also honored his life and slowly came to accept his passing. She also wrote about the political changes in England after the king returned. These poems were not published during her lifetime.
Lucy also wrote Order and Disorder. This is considered one of the first long poems, or epic poems, written by a woman in English. It is a poetic retelling of the Book of Genesis from the Bible. It is similar to John Milton's famous poem Paradise Lost. Only five parts of Order and Disorder were published while she was alive, in 1679. The full work was published after her death in 1817.
Hutchinson also wrote On the Principles of the Christian Religion. This book explained her and her husband's Puritan beliefs. She wrote it for her daughter Barbara, likely to teach her about religion.
Other Works
Among her other religious writings, Lucy translated a work by the religious leader John Owen. The book was called Theologoumena pantodoupa.
Family
John and Lucy Hutchinson had nine children together. Their son, John Hutchinson, was born in 1650 in Owthorpe, Nottinghamshire. We know the most about their daughter Barbara, who married Andrew Orgill.
