Rachel Speght facts for kids

Rachel Speght (born 1597, death date unknown) was an English writer and debater. She was the first Englishwoman to openly use her name as someone who argued against popular ideas about gender. Rachel Speght was a feminist, meaning she believed in equal rights for women. She was also a Calvinist, a type of Protestant Christian.

Speght is famous for her book A Mouzell for Melastomus (published in London, 1617). This book was a strong reply to another book called The Arraignment of Lewd, Idle, Froward, and Unconstant Women by Joseph Swetnam. Swetnam's book was very anti-women. Speght's book was an important part of the Protestant discussion about the Bible, defending women's nature and their worth.

Speght also published a book of poems called Mortalities Memorandum with a Dreame Prefixed (London, 1621). This book was a Christian reflection on death and also argued for the education of women.

Her Life Story

Rachel Speght was born in London, England, in 1597. Her father was a Calvinist minister. She grew up in the heart of London, where many church leaders and business people lived. She had three siblings who lived, and two who died as babies.

Her writings show that she was very well educated for her time. She knew a lot about rhetoric (the art of speaking and writing well), logic, and classic Greek and Roman texts. She also had a deep knowledge of Christian scriptures and Latin. Her education was special because it was so thorough and included classical subjects, which was unusual for a young woman then.

We don't know who her mother was, but she seems to have been very important to Rachel. Speght mentioned her mother's death as an inspiration for her poem Mortalities Memorandum. Rachel's godmother, Mary Moundeford, was also a big influence. Speght dedicated Mortalities Memorandum to her.

Rachel's father, James Speight, was a doctor of divinity from Cambridge University. He was a rector (a type of church leader) at two London churches: St. Mary Magdalen, Milk Street and St. Clement, Eastcheap. He also wrote religious books. His good salary meant his family lived comfortably.

Rachel's mother died sometime between 1617 and 1621. Her father remarried in February 1621 and died in 1637.

Rachel Speght married William Procter, a Calvinist minister, on August 2, 1621, when she was 24. The wedding was at St Mary Woolchurch Haw in London. Her father gave his blessing. She lived with her husband in Upminster, Essex, until 1627, then in London until 1634. They had three children: Rachel (born 1627), William (born 1630), and Joseph (born 1634).

After 1634, she lived in Stradishall in Suffolk. Her husband, William Procter, lost his church position in 1644 due to a disagreement. Rachel Procter was mentioned as being involved in this issue. William Procter died in 1661. It's likely Rachel died before him, as she isn't mentioned in his will.

Her Important Writings

Rachel Speght is known as the first Englishwoman to use her own name to argue against common ideas about gender. She published two main works during her lifetime. Her writings included essays, pamphlets, and poems.

A Mouzell for Melastomus

When she was 19, Speght published A Mouzell for Melastomus (London, 1617). The title means "a muzzle for black mouth." This book was a direct reply to Joseph Swetnam's anti-women book, The Araignment of Lewde, Idle, Froward, and Unconstant Women (London, 1615).

Speght was one of the first Western women to write publicly that jokes against women were not just harmless fun. She saw Swetnam's book as a serious attack. Her book included two letters: one to other women and one directly to Swetnam. In both, she quoted famous thinkers like Aristotle and Tacitus, and used Greek and Roman myths. By doing this, Speght showed her audience that she was a credible and knowledgeable writer.

Speght's book was the first of three replies to Swetnam's work. It was also the only one published under the author's real name. The other two were written under pen names. Swetnam never wrote a reply to Speght, but his book remained very popular.

Swetnam's book was first published under a fake name. In Mouzell, Speght cleverly revealed his true identity using an acrostic poem (where the first letter of each line spells out a name). After that, his book was reprinted with his real name. His book was typical of anti-women writings at the time, full of jokes and stories about women being bad.

Speght directly attacked Swetnam's logic and grammar. She used humor and clever wordplay to criticize him and his arguments, calling him "Irreligious and Illiterate." She used many writing techniques to make her points.

But Speght also did something different. She refused to just play a game of witty arguments. Instead, she used logic and the Bible to seriously try and change people's ideas about gender.

What was most special was Speght's way of looking at the Bible. She re-interpreted Christian scripture, especially the Creation story in Genesis. Her logical and re-interpretive approach influenced how Protestants discussed the Bible. It also affected other women in the Jacobean era who were challenging gender roles.

Historically, Speght's book was very important. It was rare for a woman in that time to write or publish anything, especially something so learned and well-argued. It was also unusual because Speght was an unknown, middle-class, unmarried young woman. Unlike other writers in the debate, Speght was brave enough to put her real name on her work, directly attacking a male author. She was confident in her intelligence and her strong sense of self.

Speght boldly used the Bible, which had often been used to control women, to argue that God wanted women to be treated equally to men. She even warned men that God might punish them if they spoke or wrote against good women. She said that God made good women "equall with themselves in dignity, both temporally and eternally."

Mortalities Memorandum with a Dreame Prefixed

At age 24, Speght published Mortalities Memorandum with a Dreame Prefixed (London, 1621). This book contained two poems. They encouraged Christian reflection on death and defended the education of women. She dedicated it to her godmother, Mary Hill Moundford. This work received less attention than A Mouzell for Melastomus.

In this poetry book, Speght shared more about herself. The first poem, The Dreame, is one of only two published dream visions written by a woman in that period. It defends women's education using an allegory (a story with a hidden meaning). The story describes the writer's struggle to enter the world of learning and her sad departure from it.

According to The Dreame, women's education is important for improving their minds and, most importantly, for saving their souls. It argues that women and men are equally suited for education because their minds are equal. It also says that God expects both sexes to use all their talents. Near the end of the poem, an event related to gender causes her to stop her studies. After this, her mother dies, and her writing must also stop.

Mortalities Memorandum is a Christian reflection on death. It's written in a common Protestant style. Speght uses references from both classical texts and the Bible to encourage readers to think about and prepare for death.

These two poems are often studied separately because they seem different in style and purpose. However, some believe that The Dreame helps readers understand Mortalities Memorandum. As a Calvinist, Speght believed that one's God-given talents should be used for the good of everyone. She saw writing as her true Christian calling. Bringing together the themes of stopping her true calling and meditating on death might show that Speght saw life as a "prison" that kept women from the freedom of education for their minds and souls.

Links to Speght's Works

• A Mouzell for Melastomus
• Mortalities Memorandum with a Dreame Prefixed

Links to Related Writings

• Munda, Constantia. The Worming of a mad Dogge
• Sowernam, Ester. Ester hath hang’d Haman
• Swetnam, Joseph. The Araignment of Lewde, idle, froward, and unconstant women