Elizabeth Creed (''née'' Pickering; 1642–1728) was an English artist and philanthropist. She was a daughter of Sir Gilbert Pickering, Bart., and Elizabeth Montagu, daughter of Sir Sidney Montagu. She was a cousin of the poet

John Dryden John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration (En ...

, and a second cousin of

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...

. In 1668 she married John Creed, of

Oundle Oundle () is a market town and civil parish on the left bank of the River Nene in North Northamptonshire, England, which had a population of 6,254 at the time of the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. It is north of London and south-wes ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

, and had eleven children. On his death in 1701 she occupied herself in painting as an

amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...

, and graciously instructing young girls in fine needlework and other feminine arts. Clayton, Ellen Creathorne. '' English female artists, volume 2'' (London, Tinsley brothers, 1876) p. 39 ff. Many churches in the neighbourhood of Oundle were decorated with

altarpiece An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, ...

s and various artistic adornments from her industrious and pious hands. Monuments by her survive at Barnwell and St Mary's Church, Titchmarsh. After another cousin, Edward Dryden, inherited the estate of

Canons Ashby Canons Ashby is a small village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England. The population of the village is included in the civil parish of Preston Capes. Its most notable building is Canons Ashby House, a National Trust property. ...

in 1708, she was tasked with the painting of what was then called the Painted Parlour as well as a piece for the Great Hall and a set of dummy boards.Stobart, J. (2013) Inventories and the changing furnishings of Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire, 1717-1819. Regional Furniture. 27, pp. 1-43. 0953-0800 At Drayton, in the collection of the Earls of Peterborough, was a portrait of the first Earl of Sandwich; and Mrs. Creed's descendants possessed many

portrait A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face is always predominant. In arts, a portrait may be represented as half body and even full body. If the subject in full body better r ...

s and some pictures by her. She died in May 1728. Samuel Pepys, who was not overly fond of her husband, admired Elizabeth: "very well-bred and comely", though inclined to be stout.

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Creed, Elizabeth 1642 births 1728 deaths English women painters People from Oundle

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...

17th-century English women artists 17th-century English artists