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This is an alphabetical list of feamle poets who were active in the United Kingdom before approximately 1800. (NB. Poetry is the focus of this list, though many of these writers worked in more than one genre).
Margaret Cavendish, 17thc poet
Contents |
Poets
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A
- Eliza Acton (1799-1859)
- Jean Adams (1704-1765)
- Lucy Aikin (1781-1864)
- Mary Alcock (c.1742-1798)
- Elizabeth Amherst (c.1716-1779)
- Anne Askew (1521-1546)
- Mary Astell (1666-1731)
- Penelope Aubin (c.1658-1731)
- Katherine Austen (1629-c.1683)
B
- Grizel Baillie (1665-1746)
- Joanna Baillie (1762-1851)
- Anne Bannerman (1765–1829)
- Anna Laetitia Barbauld (1743—1825)
- Mary Barber (c.1690-1757)
- Jane Barker (1652–1732)
- Elizabeth Bath (fl. 1806)
- Henrietta Battier (c.1751-1813)
- Catherine Bayley (fl. 1790-1816)
- Aphra Behn (1640-1689)
- Elizabeth Bentley (1767-1839)
- Matilda Betham (1776-1852)
- Elizabeth Beverley (fl. 1818-1827)
- Mary Dawes Blackett (fl. 1750-1791)
- Susanna Blamire (1747-1794)
- Anne Blanchard (fl. 1822)
- Annabella Blount (fl. 1700-1741)
- Frances Boothby (fl. 1669–1670)
- Jane Bowdler (1743-1784)
- Elizabeth Boyd (fl. 1727-1745)
- Anne Bradstreet (c.1612-1672)
- Barbarina Brand (1767-1854)
- Hannah Brand (1754–1821)
- Charlotte Brereton (b. c. 1720)
- Jane Brereton (1685-1740)
- Martha Brewster, née Wadsworth (1709-c.1759)
- Frances Brooke (1724-1789)
- Frances Burney (1752-1840)
- Sophia Burrell (1750–1805)
C
- Ann Candler (1740–1814)
- Mary Cary (fl. 1650)
- Rebekah Carmichael (fl. 1790-1806)
- Christian Carstairs (fl. 1763-1786)
- Elizabeth Carter (1717-1806)
- Elizabeth Cary (1585-1639)
- Jane Cave (c.1756-1813)
- Georgiana Cavendish (1757-1806)
- Jane Cavendish (1620/21–1669)
- Margaret Cavendish (1623-1673)
- Dorothea Celesia (bap. 1738, d. 1790)
- Susannah Centlivre (1667–1723)
- Mary Chandler (1687-1745)
- Hester Chapone (1727-1801)
- Elizabeth Charlotte (1790-1846)
- Mary Chudleigh (1656-1710)
- Elizabeth Cobbold (1764-1824)
- Alison Cockburn (1713-1794)
- Mary Cockle (fl. 1817-1826)
- Mary Collier (c.1690-c. 1762)
- An Collins (fl. 1653)
- Elizabeth Cooper (fl. 1700-1737)
- Hannah Cowley (1743-1809)
- Maria Cowper (1726-1797)
- Ann Batten Cristall (1769-c.1817)
D
- Charlotte Dacre (1782-1841)
- Alicia D'Anvers (1667–1725)
- Mary Darwall (1738-1825)
- Margaret Davies [Marged Dafydd] (c.1700–c.1785)
- Mary Davys (1674-1732)
- Eliza Day (fl. 1734-1814)
- Maria De Fleury (fl. 1750-1791)
- Sarah Dixon (c.1671-1745)
- Lady Dorothea Du Bois (1728-1774)
- Susanna Duncombe (1725-1812)
E
- Elizabeth Egerton (1626-1663)
- Sarah Fyge Egerton (1670–1723)
- Jean Elliot (1727-1805)
- Elizabeth Elstob (1683-1756)
- Mary Evelyn (1665–1685)
F
- Mary Fage (fl. 1637)
- Harriet Falconar (b. c.1774)
- Maria Falconar (b. c.1771)
- Catherine Maria Fanshawe (1765-1834)
- Anne Finch (1661–1720)
- Eleanor Wyatt Finch (d. 1623)
- Ann Francis (1738-1800)
- Caroline Fry (1787-1846)
G
- Anne MacVicar Grant (1755-1838)
- Frances Greville (c.1727-1789)
- Jane Grey (1537–1554)
- Constantia Grierson (c.1705-1732)
- Elizabeth Grymeston (c.1563-1601)
H
- Anne Halkett (1623-1699)
- Elizabeth Hands (bap. 1746, d. 1815)
- Eliza Haywood (1693–1756)
- Felicia Hemans (1793-1835)
- Mary Heron (fl. 1760-1792)
- Susanna Highmore (1689/90–1750)
- Barbara Hofland (1770-1844)
- Margaret Holford (1778-1852)
- Anne Hughes (fl. 1760-1816)
- Anna Hume (fl. 1644)
- Anne Hunter (1742-1821)
- Lucy Hutchinson (1620–1681)
I
- Anne Ingram (c.1696-1764)
J
- Anna Brownell Jameson (1794-1860)
- Elizabeth Jekyll (bap. 1624, d. 1653)
- Catherine Jemmat (bap. 1714, d. c.1766)
- Rachel Jevon (bap. 1627)
- Maria Jane Jewsbury (1800-1833)
- Mary Jones (1707–1778)
K
- Isabella Kelly (c.1759-1857)
- Anne Kemp (fl. 1658)
- Anne Killigrew (1660–1685)
- Anne King (b. c.1621, d. c.1684-1701)
- Ann Cuthbert Knight (1788-1860)
- Henrietta Knight, Baroness Luxborough (1699-1756)
L
- Caroline Lamb (1785-1828)
- Mary Lamb (1764–1847)
- Laetitia Elizabeth Landon (1802-1838)
- Aemilia Lanier (1569-1645)
- Mary Latter (c.1722-1777)
- Mary Leadbeater (1758-1826)
- Mary Leapor (1722-1746)
- Helen Leigh (fl. 1788)
- Charlotte Lennox (1720–1804)
- Esther Lewis (fl. 1747-1789)
- Anne Lindsay (1750–1825)
- Mary Locke (bap. 1768, fl. 1786-1816)
- Maria Logan (fl. 1793)
M
- Judith Madan (1702-1781)
- Elizabeth Major (fl. 1656)
- Bathsua Makin (1600-c.1675)
- Delarivier Manley (1663 or ca. 1670-1724)
- Catherine Rebecca Manners (1766/7-1852)
- Demaris Masham (b. 1659)
- Mary Masters (fl. 1733–1755)
- Mary Anne McMullan (fl. 1816-1820)
- Elizabeth Melville, Lady Culross (fl. 1598-1631)
- Elizabeth Middleton (fl. 1637)
- Mary Russell Mitford (1787-1855)
- Mary Mollineux (c.1651–1696)
- Mary Monck (c.1678-1715)
- Elizabeth Moody (d. 1814)
- Mary Wortley Montagu (c.1689-1762)
- Hannah More (1745-1833)
- Arabella Moreton (c.1690-c.1741)
- Sydney Owenson Morgan (1783-1859)
- Martha Moulsworth (1577–1646)
- Anne Murry (c.1755-ca. 1816)
N
- Anna Jane Vardill Niven (1781–1852)
- Eliza Bland Smith Erskine Norton (fl. 1795-1862)
O
- Caroline Oliphant (1766–1845)
- Henrietta O'Neill (1758-93)
- Amelia Opie (1769-1853)
- Mary Oxlie (fl. 1616)
P
- Julia Palmer (fl. 1664–1673)
- Catherine Parr (c.1512–1548)
- Lucy Peacock (1768-1816)
- Elizabeth Pennington (1734-1759)
- Anne Penny (1731-1784)
- Margaret Pennyman (bap. 1685, d. 1733)
- Katherine Philips (1631-1664)
- Sarah Piers (1697-1714)
- Laetitia Pilkington (c.1708-1750)
- Hester Lynch Piozzi (1740-1821)
- Mary Pix (1666-1709)
- Annabella Plumptre (1761-1838)
- Anne Plumptre (1760-1818)
- Priscilla Pointon (ca. 1740-1801)
- Anna Maria Porter (1780-1832)
- Diana Primrose (fl. 1630)
- Hester Pulter (1595/6–1678)
Q R
- Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823)
- Màiri nighean Alasdair Ruaidh [Mary MacLeod] (c.1615–c.1707)
- Clara Reeve (1729-1807)
- Caroline E. Richardson (fl. 1818-1834)
- Catherine Eliza Richardson (1777–1853)
- Charlotte Caroline Richardson (1796–1854)
- Elizabeth Smales Richardson (c.1759–1841)
- Mary Robinson (1757-1800)
- Frances Arabella Rowden (1780-c.1840)
- Elizabeth Rowe (née Singer) (1674-1737)
- Elizabeth Ryves (1750-1797)
S
- Martha Sansom (1690-1736)
- Mary Savage (fl. 1763-1777)
- Anna Sawyer (fl. 1794-1801)
- Mary Scott (1752-1793)
- Anna Seward (1742-1809)
- Frances Seymour (1699-1750)
- Elizabeth Sheridan (1754-1792)
- Mary Sidney Herbert (1561–1621)
- Lilias Skene (1626/7–1697)
- Charlotte Smith (1749-1806)
- Elizabeth Smith (1776-1806)
- Joanna Southcott (1750-1814)
- Caroline Southey (1787-1854)
- Anne Southwell (1574-1636)
- Rachel Speght (b. c.1597)
- Mariana Starke (c.1762-1838)
- Anne Steele (1717-1778)
- Mary R. Stockdale (fl. 1812-1818)
- Agnes Strickland (1796-1874)
- Elizabrth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia (1596-1660)
- Alice Sutcliffe (fl. 1633)
T
- Ann Taylor (1782-1866)
- Elizabeth Taylor (fl. 1685-1720)
- Ellen Taylor (fl. 1792)
- Emily Taylor (1795-1872)
- Jane Taylor (1783−1824)
- Elizabeth Teft (bap. 1723, fl. 1741-1747)
- Gertrude Thimelby (1617–1668)
- Ann Thomas (fl. 1784-1795)
- Elizabeth Thomas (1675-1731)
- Elizabeth Thomas (1770/71–1855)
- Mary Tighe (1772-1810)
- Jane Timbury (fl. 1750-1791)
- Elizabeth Tipper (fl. 1698)
- Elizabeth Tollet (1694-1754)
- Anna Trapnel (fl. 1654-1660)
- Elizabeth Trefusis (1763-1808)
- Melesina Chenevix Trench (1768-1827)
- Catherine Trotter (1679-1749)
- Elizabeth Tudor (1533–1603)
U V
- Anna Jane Vardill (1781–1852)
W
- Hannah Wallace (fl. 1787)
- Octavia Walsh (1677-1706)
- Elizabeth Wardlaw (1677–1727)
- Jane Warton (1723-1809)
- Anna Weamys (fl. 1651)
- Jane West (1758–1852)
- Elizabeth Weston (bap. c.1581, d. 1612)
- Anne Wharton (1659–1685)
- Isabella Whitney (b. c.1540, fl. 1566–1573)
- Anna Williams (1706-1783)
- Helen Maria Williams (c.1761-1827)
- Elizabeth Wilmot (d. 1681)
- Anne Wilson (f. 1778)
- Margeret Harries Baron-Wilson (1797-1846)
- Jane Wiseman (c.1682–1717)
- Elizabeth Pipe (Jervis) Wolferstan (b. 1763)
- Dorothy Wordsworth (1771-1855)
- Frances Wright (1795-1852)
- Mehetabel Wright (1697-1750)
- Mary Wroth (1587–1652)
X Y
- Ann Yearsley (c.1753-1806)
Z
References
- Backscheider, Paula, and John Richetti, eds. Popular Fiction by Women, 1660-1730: An Anthology. Oxford: OUP, 1996.
- Blain, Virginia, et al., eds. The Feminist Companion to Literature in English. New Haven and London: Yale UP, 1990.
- Buck, Claire, ed.The Bloomsbury Guide to Women's Literature. Prentice Hall, 1992.
- Greer, Germaine, ed. Kissing the Rod: an anthology of seventeenth-century women's verse. Farrar Staus Giroux, 1988.
- Lonsdale, Roger ed. Eighteenth-Century Women Poets: An Oxford Anthology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: OUP, 2004.
- Robertson, Fiona, ed. Women's Writing, 1778-1838. Oxford: OUP, 2001.
- Todd, Janet, ed. British Women Writers: a critical reference guide. London: Routledge, 1989.
See also
- List of early-modern women playwrights (UK)
- List of female poets
- List of feminist poets
- List of poets
- List of women novelists before Jane Austen
- List of women rhetoricians
- List of women writers
- Lists of writers
- Oxford period poetry anthologies
- Women Writers Project
- Women's writing in English
External links
- 17th Century Women Poets
- Bibliography of Early Modern Women Writers That Are In Print
- British Women Romantic Poets, 1789 - 1832
- The Brown University Women Writers Project
- A Celebration of Women Writers
- Early Modern Women Database
- Emory Women Writers Resource Project
- English Poetry 1579-1830: Spenser and the Tradition
- List of biographical dictionaries, with a focus on 17thc women writers
- Luminarium
- The Perdita Project
- A Time-Line of English Poetry, Representative Poetry Online
- Romantic Circles
- Women Romantic-Era Writers
- The Women Writers Archive: Early Modern Women Writers Online
