Hannah Woolley
Encyclopedia
Hannah Woolley, sometimes spelled Wolley, (born 1622, England - died circa 1675, England) was a writer who published early books on household management and was probably the first to earn their living doing this.
From 1639 to 1646 Wolley worked as a servant for an unnamed woman, almost certainly Anne, Lady Maynard (d. 1647), during which time she learned about medical remedies and recipes.
She married Jerome Woolley, a schoolmaster, in 1646 and ran with him a free grammar school
at Newport
, in Essex. This is very near the Maynard family's house at Little Easton
. In the school she put into practice her skills at "physick".
A few years later, the Woolleys opened a school in Hackney
, London. She had at least four sons and two daughters, and the marriage was remembered by Hannah as a happy one.
Hannah was widowed in 1661 and from that year on began publishing books on household management. She covered such topics as : recipes, notes on domestic management, embroidery instruction, the etiquette of letter writing, medicinal advice, and perfume making. These proved to be very popular.
Her first book The Ladies Directory was published at her own expense in 1661, and this was soon reprinted in 1664. Her second book The Cooks Guide, was printed at a her publisher's expense and is dedicated to Maynard's daughter, Lady Anne Wroth (1632–1677), and her own daughter Mary.
Wolley earned a reputation as a successful physician, despite her amateur status and the unwelcoming environment for female medical practitioners at that time in history. She used her books as an advertisement for her skills and invited her readers to consult her in person.
Wolley remarried in 1666 at St. Margaret's, Westminster
, to Francis Challiner, a widower two years older than herself. But her second husband died before February 1669.
Wolley's own date of death is unknown. She did not react, as she had done previously, to another plagiarised
work of 1675 called The Accomplish'd Ladies Delight so it is likely that she did not live to see it appear.
Life
Her mother and elder sisters were all skilled in "Physick and Chirurgery" and she learned from them . Nothing is known of her father.From 1639 to 1646 Wolley worked as a servant for an unnamed woman, almost certainly Anne, Lady Maynard (d. 1647), during which time she learned about medical remedies and recipes.
She married Jerome Woolley, a schoolmaster, in 1646 and ran with him a free grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
at Newport
Newport, Essex
Newport is a large village in Essex near Saffron Walden, in which Newport Free Grammar School is located. The village has a population of just over 2,000....
, in Essex. This is very near the Maynard family's house at Little Easton
Little Easton
Little Easton is a small village in Essex, England, which dates from the 12th century. The village has a population of just a few hundred people, one pub, "The Stag", and one church...
. In the school she put into practice her skills at "physick".
A few years later, the Woolleys opened a school in Hackney
Hackney (parish)
Hackney was a parish in the historic county of Middlesex. The parish church of St John-at-Hackney was built in 1789, replacing the nearby former 16th century parish church dedicated to St Augustine . The original tower of that church was retained to hold the bells until the new church could be...
, London. She had at least four sons and two daughters, and the marriage was remembered by Hannah as a happy one.
Hannah was widowed in 1661 and from that year on began publishing books on household management. She covered such topics as : recipes, notes on domestic management, embroidery instruction, the etiquette of letter writing, medicinal advice, and perfume making. These proved to be very popular.
Her first book The Ladies Directory was published at her own expense in 1661, and this was soon reprinted in 1664. Her second book The Cooks Guide, was printed at a her publisher's expense and is dedicated to Maynard's daughter, Lady Anne Wroth (1632–1677), and her own daughter Mary.
Wolley earned a reputation as a successful physician, despite her amateur status and the unwelcoming environment for female medical practitioners at that time in history. She used her books as an advertisement for her skills and invited her readers to consult her in person.
Wolley remarried in 1666 at St. Margaret's, Westminster
St. Margaret's, Westminster
The Anglican church of St. Margaret, Westminster Abbey is situated in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, and is the parish church of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in London...
, to Francis Challiner, a widower two years older than herself. But her second husband died before February 1669.
Wolley's own date of death is unknown. She did not react, as she had done previously, to another plagiarised
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
work of 1675 called The Accomplish'd Ladies Delight so it is likely that she did not live to see it appear.
Works
- The first of these was The Ladies Directory (1661)
- The Cooks Guide, of 1664
- In 1670 Wolley produced The Queen-Like Closet (the title refers to the book The Queens Closet Opened, of 1655 written by 'W.M.' of whom very little is known.) at least two editions of a German translation of this were published as Frauenzimmers Zeitvertreib.
- In 1672 The Ladies Delight
- Her last work, A Supplement to the "Queen-Like Closet," or, A Little of Every Thing (1674).
- An unauthorized work based on her books was published in 1673 as The Gentlewoman's Companion.
- Similar unauthorized works followed in 1675 The Accomplished Ladies Delight and in 1685 The Compleat Servant-Maid. Like her authentic works, these were reprinted frequently.
External links
- Online books by Hannah Woolley at The University of Pennsylvania. Accessed September 2009.