Elizabeth Carter

Elizabeth Carter, (December 16 1717 – February 19 1806), was a poet, classicist, writer and translator, and a prominent and learned member of the Bluestocking Circle.

Born in Deal, Kent, she was the daughter of a clergyman whose parish was in the town - her redbrick family home can still be seen at the junction of South Street and Middle Street, close to the seafront. Encouraged by her father to study, she mastered several modern and ancient languages (including Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic) and science. She rendered into English De Crousaz's "Examen de l'essai de Monsieur Pope sur l'homme" ("Examination of Mr Pope's "An Essay on Man", two volumes, 1739); Algarotti's "Newtonianismo per le donne" ("Newtonianism for women"); the works of Epictetus 1758; and wrote a small volume of poems.

She was a friend of Samuel Johnson, editing some editions of his periodical "The Rambler". [cite news|url=http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1424587,00.html|title= Review of Dr Johnson's Women, by Norma Clarke|publisher=The Guardian|first=Nicholas|last=Lezard|date=26 February 2005|accessdate=2008-03-08] He wrote that " [my] old friend, Mrs [Sic - she remained single until her death.] Carter could make a pudding [just] as well as translate Epictetus... and work a handkerchief [just] as well as compose a poem" [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7281771.stm|title=Gallery rediscovers oil portrait|date=6 March 2008|accessdate=2008-03-08|publisher=BBC News] ). She was friends with many other eminent men, as well as being a close confidant of Elizabeth Montagu, Hannah More, Hester Chapone, and several other members of the Bluestocking circle. She also wrote to Emma Hamilton, who called Carter " [as] I imagine, the most learned female who ever lived" (though Hamilton's guardian's son Francis Lord Napier wrote to Emma that Carter was "a fine old Slut, though bearing not the least resemblance to a Woman. She had more the appearance of a fat Priest of the Church of Rome than an English Gentlewoman.") [cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/dec/03/books.monarchy|title=Diaries reveal passions at the court of King George|first=Vanessa|last=Thorpe|publisher=The Observer|date=December 3 2006|accessdate=2008-03-08]

References

Resources

*A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature
*NIE
* [http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?search=ss&sText=Elizabeth+Carter&LinkID=mp00781 Portraits of Elizabeth Carter] at the National Portrait Gallery
* [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0732-7730(198621)5%3A1%3C138%3AEC(U%3E2.0.CO%3B2-T "Elizabeth Carter"] , Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Spring, 1986), pp. 138-140
*cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/7282850.stm|title=Home town finds feminist painting|date=7 March 2008|accessdate=2008-03-08|publisher=BBC News