Woman Writes

“Behind every great man is a great woman.” But in history she is hidden from view.

I’m not going to go into the feminist arguments of women’s oppression. We can’t change what’s gone before, we need to acknowledge it existed – still exists – and find ways to move forward and move on.

One way to do this is to look for the role models and break the moulds. To uncover those hidden women. But they’re not easy to find for many different reasons, which Woman Writes discusses.

History tells us of the Queens and Princesses. I find it ironic in a “man’s world” that in the last 500 years our 3 longest reigning monarchs have been women. Although, of course, the late queen, HRH Elizabeth II was more of a figurehead than a ruler involved in politics.

My passion is 17th Century women. Quite why, I don’t know. Perhaps because this is when they start to emerge from the shadows.

Some of those I’d like to know more about are

1.John Bunyan’s wife (his second). Marrying him when she was just eighteen, Elizabeth became stepmother to John’s four children by his first wife, the eldest of whom, Mary, was blind. What was this Elizabeth going through while her husband was refusing to budge on his beliefs? And indeed what about Mary?

2. Oliver Cromwell’s wife, Elizabeth. Again, another man whose wife must have suffered immensely at the absence and duties her husband pursued and with 9 children to care for….

3. Isaac Newton’s mother. After the death of Newton’s father, his mother, Hannah, left him with his grandmother and went off and married the vicar. After her new husband died she brought Newton’s 3 half siblings back home. She wanted him to be a farmer and was disappointed that he hadn’t the skill for it. I don’t think Hannah appreciated the gravity of the situation (sorry for the pun) or the impact her son would have on the world!