Elizabeth Jekyll born Elizabeth Ward (1624 – 1653) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

diarist. She was married to John Jekyll who was a leading parliamentarian. Her diary is an insight into her life during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of Kingdom of England, England's governanc ...

Life

Jekyll was probably born in London as she was baptised on 18 July 1624 at St Christopher's church which was in the parish of

St Mary Woolchurch ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy a ...

in London. Her parents were George and Elizabeth Ward who wrre well connected. She married John Jekyll who was the son of

Thomas Jekyll Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

sometime before 1643. Her husband was a leading parliamentarian, a freeman and a haberdasher. She came to notice because she started a diary when she married. Her diary records the births of seven children (five survived) and her husband's efforts on behalf of the parliamentarians. Her husband was arrested in Bristol as the "leading roundhead" and later released. Jekyll records her meditations on his arrest including her explanation that this was caused by her own sins. She records the progress of the civil war and family events. Besides the meditations the diary also includes some poetry and an account of the trial of the martyr or traitor

Christopher Love Christopher Love (1618, Cardiff, Wales – 22 August 1651, London) was a Welsh Presbyterian preacher and activist during the English Civil War. In 1651, he was executed by the English government for plotting with the exiled Stuart court. Th ...

Death and legacy

Jekyll died a week after the birth of her seventh child and she was buried in St Stephen Walbrook. Her husband married again and had five more children, but he chose to be buried next to his first wife and he left his money to his second wife and Thomas Jekyll who was his and Elizabeth's eldest child. Her diary survived her and at somepoint it was copied by someone unknown. This was after 1685 because other quotes are from a later date. The diary is now in the

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library () is the rare book library and literary archive of the Yale University Library in New Haven, Connecticut. It is one of the largest buildings in the world dedicated to rare books and manuscripts. Es ...

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jekyll, Elizabeth 1624 births 1653 deaths Writers from London 17th-century English diarists Roundheads