working life of women seventeenth century - School of Economics ...

AGRICULTUREwas made of their development. The existence ofvigorous, able matrons was accepted as a matter ofcourse. They embodied the seventeenth centuryidea of the " eternal feminine " and no one suspectedthat they might change with a changing environment.They themselves were too busy, too much absorbedin the lives of others, to keep journals and they werenot sufficiently important to have their memoirswritten by othir pe6ple.Perhaps their most authentic portraits may befound in the writings of the Quakers, who were largelydrawn from this class of the community. Theydepict women with an exalted devotion, supportingtheir families and strengthening their husbandsthrough the storms of persecution and amidstthe e$cting claims of religion.John Banks wrote from Carlisle Prison in 1648to his wife, " No greater Joy and Comfort I have inthis world. . . than to know that thou and a11thine are well both in Body and Mind . . .though I could be glad to see thee here, but do notstraiten thyself in any wise, for I am truly content tobear it, if it were much more, considering thy Concernsin this Season of the Year, being Harvest time and theJourney so long."I After her death he writes, " WeLived Comfortably together many Years, and she wasa Careful Industrious Woman in bringing up of herChildren in good order, as did become the Truth, inSpeech, Behaviour and Habit ; a Meet-Help and agood Support to me, upon the account of my Travels,always ready and willing to fit me with Necessaries,. . . and was never known to murmur, tho' I wasoften Concerned, to leave her with a weak Family,. . . She was well beloved amongst good Friends andof her Neighbours, as witness the several hundreds thatwere'at her Burial. . . . our Separation by Death,' Banks (John), Journal, p. Ior, 1684.AGRICULTUREwas the greatest Trial that ever I met with, above anythinghere below. Now if any shall ask, Why I havewrit so many Letters at large to be Printed . . .how can any think that I should do less than I havedone, to use all Endeavours what in me lay, to StrengthenandEncourage my Dear Wife, whom I so often,and for so many Years was made to leave as aforesaid,having pretty much concerns to look after."'Of another Quaker, Mary Batt, her father writes inher testimony that she was " Married to PhillipSyler of Waldon in the County of Somerset before sheattained the age of twenty years. . . . The Lordblessed her with Four Children, whereof two dyedin their Infancy, and two yet remain alive : at theBurial of her Husband, for being present, she had twoCows valued at Nine Pounds taken from her, which,with many other Tryals during her Widowhood, shebore with much Patience,remained a Widow about four Years, the Lord drewthe affection of James Saylor . . . to seek herto be his Wife, and there being an answer in her, theLord joyned them together. To her Husband her45. . . After she hadLove and Subjection was suitable to that Relation,being greatly delighted in his Company, and a Meet-Help, a faithful Yoak-fellow, . . . and in hisAbsence, not only carefully discharging the duty asher Place as a Wife, but diligent to supply his Placein those affairs that more immediately concernedhim."' And her husband adds in his testimony, " Myoutward Affairs falling all under her charge (I,being absent, a Prisoner for my Testimony againstTythes) she did manage the same in such-care andpatience until the time she was grown big with Child,and as she thought near the time of her Travail (acondition much to be born with and pittyed) she thendesired so much Liberty as to have my Company homeBanks, (John), Journal, pp 129-30.' Batt (hlaryj, Pertrmony ofthe Lrfe and Death of, pp 1-3, 1683