Jane Cavendish
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Lady Jane Cavendish (1621–1669) was a
poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
and
playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...
, the daughter of
William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne, KG, KB, PC (25 December 1676), who after 1665 styled himself as Prince William Cavendish, was an English courtier and supporter of the arts. He was a renowned horse breeder, as well as being ...
and later the wife of Charles Cheyne,
Viscount Newhaven Viscount Newhaven was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created 17 May 1681 for Charles Cheyne (or Cheyney), a Member of Parliament and Clerk of the Pipe. He was made Lord Cheyne at the same time, also in the Peerage of Scotland. He ma ...
. Along with her literary achievements, Cavendish helped manage her father's properties while he spent the
English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
in exile; she was responsible for a variety of military correspondences and for salvaging many of her family's valuable possessions. Later in life, she became an important community member in Chelsea, using her resources to make improvements on Chelsea Church and otherwise benefit her friends and neighbours. Marked by vitality, integrity, perseverance and creativity, Jane's life and works tell the story of a Royalist woman's indomitable spirit during the English Civil War and the
English Restoration The Stuart Restoration was the reinstatement in May 1660 of the Stuart monarchy in Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland. It replaced the Commonwealth of England, established in January 164 ...
.


Early life

Born in 1621 to William Cavendish and his first wife, Elizabeth Basset Howard, Jane Cavendish grew up in a prosperous and loving environment. Much of the wealth that William possessed had been accumulated by his grandmother, the Renaissance property magnate Elizabeth Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury—better known as Bess of Hardwick. Bess's properties, her fortune, and her remarkable tapestries were important inheritances of William's family, and Bess herself provided a template of autonomous female behaviour for William's daughters. Throughout his life, William added to Bess's wealth and properties—in part by marrying Howard, who was a rich widowed heiress at the time of their marriage. Adjacent to his social and monetary ambitions were William Cavendish's tremendous literary ambitions, which he aspired toward in his own writings but homed in on most thoroughly by developing relationships with a wide range of poets and playwrights including
Ben Jonson Benjamin Jonson ( 11 June 1572 – ) was an English playwright, poet and actor. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence on English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for the satire, satirical ...
,
Thomas Shadwell Thomas Shadwell ( – 19 November 1692) was an English poet and playwright who was appointed Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate in 1689. Life Shadwell was born at either Bromehill Farm, Weeting-with-Broomhill or Santon House, Ly ...
, and
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 ...
. Because of her father's literary and political connections, Jane's world was—from the start—replete in the excesses that typified Charles I's court. She had a number of elegant gowns, many made of sumptuous velvets, and a fine collection of garments and linens. More significant than these signs of her social standing, however, are some early traces of her literary development. In one of her father's manuscript books (now
University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. Nottingham's main campus (University Park Campus, Nottingh ...
MSS Portland Collection, Pw V 25:21–22), Jane responded to her father's couplet "Sweet Jane / I know you are a rare Inditer.— / And hath the Pen off a moste redye writer. / W.N." with the following lines: "My Lord / I know you doo but Jest with mee / & so in obdence I right this nothing / Jane Cavendysshe." It is worth noting that although William wrote similar couplets to each of his children, only Jane and one of her brothers recorded a response—and Jane's is by far the cleverer of the two. Her father's assessment of her as “a moste redye writer” carried over into her adult life, when she collaborated with her sister on some literary documents and also wrote her own poetry.


The English Civil Wars

As for other staunch
Royalists A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gover ...
, the
English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
was a trying time for the Cavendish family. The closing of the theatres in 1642 would have been of especial significance for them, since William had written plays that were publicly performed before the war and his daughters were familiar with the networks of theatre culture that ranged from public theatrical performances to private readings of dramas. Of course, the closing of the theatres was not the most traumatic event of the Civil War for the Cavendish family. Elizabeth Basset Howard died in 1643, leaving her children in possession of her money but without her guidance and compassion. Soon after his first wife's death, William was defeated in a critical battle at
Marston Moor The Battle of Marston Moor was fought on 2 July 1644, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms of 1639–1653. The combined forces of the English Parliamentarians under Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester and the Scottish Covenanters unde ...
. He subsequently fled to France, leaving his daughters to maintain his property at
Welbeck Abbey Welbeck Abbey is an English country house near the village of Welbeck in the Bassetlaw District of Nottinghamshire. It was the site of a monastery belonging to the Premonstratensian order, and after the Dissolution of the Monasteries a residen ...
on their own. Welbeck Abbey was captured by Parliamentarian forces on 2 August 1644. Although Royalists briefly recaptured the home in 1645, they surrendered it in November. Amid these volatile circumstances, Jane and her sisters
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 ...
and Frances twice entertained Charles I at Welbeck in 1645. After Charles's execution in 1649, however, the sisters' world took on a grimmer tone. Their father was labelled a traitor, and they were forced to live under
house arrest House arrest (also called home confinement, or nowadays electronic monitoring) is a legal measure where a person is required to remain at their residence under supervision, typically as an alternative to imprisonment. The person is confined b ...
, where the conduct of the Parliamentarian troops was often rude at best. Jane continued to work toward preserving her family's possessions. She managed to barter with Royalist soldiers to have her father's valuable Van Dyck paintings and some tapestries moved to safety, and she and Frances sent out letters that provided information to the Royalist army about the status of Welbeck and its surroundings. Moreover, during this period of unrest, Jane and her sister Elizabeth began compiling a variety of manuscript writings that they probably started working on as early as 1635—although most of the contents were written during the Civil War. These works, which were copied by their father's scribe John Rollston, are now held by the Beinecke and
Bodleian The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...
libraries. Beinecke Osborn MS b. 233 is a presentation copy manuscript of poetry written exclusively by Jane. Bodleian Library, MS Rawl., Poet. 16 is a larger compilation, titled ''Poems Songs a Pastorall and a Play by the Right Honorable the Lady Jane Cavendish and Lady Elizabeth Brackley'', comprising writings by Jane and Elizabeth. The sisters' individual contributions are noted in the margins by Rollston. The sisters' collaborative writings were probably interrupted when Elizabeth moved to
Ashridge Ashridge is a Estate (land), country estate and stately home in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated in the Chiltern Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about north of Berkhamsted and north west of London. The estate comprises ...
to live with her husband, John Egerton. Frances and Jane would eventually follow Elizabeth to Ashridge for a brief interval because of the relative stability that it offered in contrast to their own besieged home. In 1654, Jane married Charles Cheyne (who would later become
Viscount Newhaven Viscount Newhaven was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created 17 May 1681 for Charles Cheyne (or Cheyney), a Member of Parliament and Clerk of the Pipe. He was made Lord Cheyne at the same time, also in the Peerage of Scotland. He ma ...
). Jane and Charles had three children: Elizabeth (born 1656), William (born 1657), and Catherine (born 1658). Even as the Civil War continued, Jane and her husband found themselves able to enjoy a degree of comfort. Charles even managed to buy the former royal palace and manor of Chelsea with his wife's dowry.


Later years

The Restoration brought some changes into Jane's world, a major one being the return of her father to England with his second wife—
Margaret Lucas Cavendish Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (; 1623 er exact birth date is unknown– 16 December 1673) was an English philosopher, poet, scientist, fiction writer, and playwright. She was a prolific writer, publishing over 12 original t ...
who was younger than Jane. Margaret was an unwelcome addition to the family, and Jane wrote several letters discussing the control Margaret was exercising over William's property and income with other members of the family. Some scholars have read the character of "Lady Tranquility" in Jane and Elizabeth's play ''The Concealed Fansyes'' as a satire of Margaret Lucas, but others consider this unlikely. While the fictional father's choice of an unsuitable fiancée may reflect some anxiety on his daughters' parts, there are few if any similarities to the real Margaret Lucas. Furthermore, the manuscript book which contains ''The Concealed Fansyes'', another play, and a variety of poems, was prepared as a presentation copy, a gift to William Cavendish from his daughters, intended for his pleasure and enjoyment. It seems likely that his daughters sought to emulate their playwright father, not offend him. Jane Cavendish and her sister, Elizabeth Brackley, "are the only known collaborative female dramatists of the early modern period, and the co-composers of the first extant stage comedy by women in English." In 1664, Elizabeth died in childbed, which prompted Jane to write an
elegy An elegy is a poem of serious reflection, and in English literature usually a lament for the dead. However, according to ''The Oxford Handbook of the Elegy'', "for all of its pervasiveness ... the 'elegy' remains remarkably ill defined: sometime ...
. It is difficult to know how much poetry Jane wrote during these later years. The elegy for Elizabeth is the only trace of it that has yet been discovered, but Nathan Comfort Starr and others have suggested that Jane continued to write poetry throughout her life. Regardless of whether or not she wrote poetry after leaving Welbeck in the 1650s, Jane did manage to leave her mark on the world in a highly public way: she used her own money to have Chelsea Church re-roofed in 1667. After her death in 1669 from a series of epileptic fits, Jane's impact on Chelsea was chronicled in a funeral sermon by
Adam Littleton Adam Littleton (1627–1694) was an English cleric and lexicographer. Life Born on 2 November 1627, he was the son of Thomas Littleton, vicar of Halesowen, Worcestershire. He was educated on the foundation at Westminster School, end was elected t ...
and an elegy by Thomas Lawrence. Both of these texts make mention of how Jane used her financial resources to benefit her community; the texts also imply that Jane's role as a literary author was not unknown to her friends and neighbours. First at Welbeck and later in the house she shared with her husband and in the community of Chelsea more broadly, Jane engaged in culture on her own terms. Since 2018 her complete works have been available in a modern scholarly edition.
The Collected Works of Jane Cavendish
', edited by Alexandra G. Bennett, Routledge, 2018.


Archives containing Jane Cavendish's works

A Celebration of Women Writers (Online editions) * ''The Concealed Fansyes: A Play by Lady Jane Cavendish and Lady Elizabeth Brackley'' (Cheyne, Jane, Lady, 1621–1669 and Egerton, Elizabeth Cavendish, 1626–1663). Edited by Nathan Comfort Starr. PMLA, Vol. 46, No. 3 (Sep. 1931), pp. 802–838. Copyright not renewed. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. *Osborn Shelves MS b.233. Presentation volume of the works of Jane Cavendish. Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, Oxford. *MS Rawl. Poet 16. Presentation volume of the works of Elizabeth Egerton and Jane Cavendish. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA *MS EL 8048. Letter from Elizabeth Cavendish Egerton to Jane Cheyne. *MS EL 8353. Poem, "On the death of my Dear Sister,” by Jane Cavendish Cheyne, 1663. *MS EL 11143. Account book of Lady Jane Cheyne. University of Nottingham, Nottingham. *MS Portland PwV 19. Thomas Lawrence's elegy for Jane Cavendish Cheyne.


References


Sources

*Marie-Louise Coolahan, "Presentation volume of Jane Cavendish's poetry" (Yale University, Beinecke Library Osborn MS b.233). ''Early Modern Women's Manuscript Poetry''. Ed. Jill Seal Millman and Gillian Wright. New York and Manchester: Manchester UP, 2005 *Germaine Greer, Susan Hastings, Jeslyn Medoff and Melinda Sansone. "Lady Jane Cavendish and Lady Elizabeth Brackley", ''Kissing the Rod: An Anthology of Seventeenth-Century Women's Verse''. Camden Town, London: Virago, 1988


Bibliography

*Alexandra G. Bennett, "'Now let my language speake': The Authorship, Rewriting, and Audience(s) of Jane Cavendish and Elizabeth Brackley". ''Early Modern Literary Studies'' 11.2 (September 2005): 3.1–13 *Elizabeth Brackley and Jane Cavendish, ''The Concealed Fancies'' (c. 1645), ''Renaissance Drama by Women: Texts and Documents'', S. P. Cerasano and Marion Wynne-Davies, eds. New York and London: Routledge, 1996 *Margaret J. M. Ezell, "To Be Your Daughter in Your Pen: The Social Functions of Literature in the Writings of Lady Elizabeth Brackley and Lady Jane Cavendish". ''Huntington Library Quarterly'' 51.4 (1988) pp. 281–296 *Alison Findlay, "Playing the 'scene self' in Jane Cavendish and Elizabeth Brackley's ''The Concealed Fancies''". ''Enacting Gender on the English Renaissance Stage''. Ed. Anne Russell and Viviana Comensoli. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1999, pp. 154–176 * *Kamille Stone Stanton, "The Domestication of Royalist Themes in the Manuscript Writings of Jane Cavendish and Elizabeth Brackley", ''Clio: A Journal of Literature, History and the Philosophy of History'' 36:2 (Spring 2007) *Marion Wynne-Davies, "Jane and Elizabeth Cavendish"; "Jane Cavendish"; "Elizabeth Cavendish", ''Women Poets of the Renaissance''. London: J. M. Dent, 1998 {{DEFAULTSORT:Cavendish, Jane Daughters of English dukes 1621 births 1669 deaths English women dramatists and playwrights English women poets 17th-century English women writers 17th-century English writers Jane 17th-century English dramatists and playwrights Cavaliers Women in the English Civil War