Bathsua Makin
Who was Bathsua Makin?
English linguist and feminist writer
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Bathsua Makin (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Bathsua Makin, born around 1600 and passing away between 1676 and 1680 in London, was among the most educated women in seventeenth-century England. Known at the time as England's most learned lady, she mastered at least seven languages, including Greek, Latin, Hebrew, German, Spanish, French, and Italian. Her achievements were remarkable for anyone in her era, and even more so given the restrictions on women then. She was a teacher, writer, and advocate who aimed to change views about women's intellectual and moral capabilities.
Her most significant public contribution was her 1673 work, An Essay to Revive the Ancient Education of Gentlewomen, in Religion, Manners, Arts & Tongues, with an Answer to the Objections against this Way of Education. In it, she strongly argued that women had the same intellectual abilities as men and should have equal access to education. She used historical examples of educated women to challenge the belief that women were less capable and should stick to domestic roles. The essay also tackled and countered common arguments against educating women, mixing philosophy with practical reasons for female education.
Besides writing, Makin worked as a teacher and likely ran a school for girls. She tutored Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King Charles I, which shows her recognized intellectual status during her life. Her teaching philosophy included a wide-ranging curriculum for women, covering languages, arts, sciences, and religious studies, rejecting the limited domestic lessons typically given to girls at the time.
Makin was the daughter of Henry Reginald, a schoolmaster, which likely contributed to her early exposure to robust academic learning. Her brother, John Pell, was a noted mathematician, indicating a family environment supportive of intellectual pursuits. She was married to Richard Makin, though not much else is recorded about her personal domestic life. She corresponded with leading scholars of her day, engaging with serious academic and philosophical communities.
Makin spent much of her later life in London, continuing to write and teach. Her death, around 1676 to 1680, came after she had created the work she is best known for. She holds a notable place in the history of feminist thought in England, being an early and clear voice pushing for reform in women's education during a time when such opinions were not only challenging but could also harm one's social standing.
Before Fame
Bathsua Makin was born around 1600 and grew up in a household that encouraged intellectual pursuits. Her father, Henry Reginald, was a schoolmaster, giving her access to education that was rare for women at the time. Her brother, John Pell, later became a noted mathematician, and the family’s focus on learning had a major impact on Makin’s development.
In a time when women’s education was neither encouraged nor easily available, Makin’s rise was due to her self-study and unique upbringing. Seventeenth-century England generally believed women were not suited for serious intellectual activities, but Makin learned seven languages and gained the knowledge needed to become a tutor to a royal princess. Her early accomplishments built a strong reputation long before her well-known essay.
Key Achievements
- Authored An Essay to Revive the Ancient Education of Gentlewomen (1673), one of the earliest and most substantive English-language arguments for formal women's education.
- Served as royal tutor to Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King Charles I, demonstrating recognized scholarly authority at the highest social levels.
- Achieved documented fluency in seven languages, making her one of the most accomplished linguists of either sex in seventeenth-century England.
- Established or operated a school for girls, putting her educational philosophy into direct practice.
- Contributed foundational arguments to the emerging feminist discourse in England, anticipating many themes later developed by writers such as Mary Astell.
Did You Know?
- 01.Makin was fluent in seven languages: Greek, Latin, Hebrew, German, Spanish, French, and Italian, an achievement that was extraordinary even among male scholars of her time.
- 02.She served as a tutor to Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of King Charles I of England, one of the most prestigious teaching appointments available in seventeenth-century England.
- 03.Her brother was John Pell, a mathematician who gave his name to the Pell equation, a concept still studied in number theory today.
- 04.Her 1673 essay not only argued in favor of women's education but included a structured rebuttal section specifically designed to answer critics and skeptics of female learning.
- 05.Contemporaries referred to her as 'England's most learned lady,' a title reflecting the exceptional esteem in which her linguistic and intellectual abilities were held during her lifetime.