Too posh to push? Not in the 17th Century! Alice Thornton was the daughter of Sir Christopher Wandsford (former Lord Deputy of Derby). She left behind what she described a ‘Remembrance book’ and in it gives us a wonderful insight into the world of an average minor gentry women in the mid 17th Century. As previously mentioned Alice visited Chester sometime in 1641, where she unfortunately but not uncommonly contracted Smallpox. You’ll all be pleased to know that she survived however this was sadly not the end of her suffering. The 10 years following her visit to Chester, Alice details the deaths of several family members including 3 cousins, 1 uncle and her brother (the latter in a terrible drowning accident). In 1651 Alice married William Thornton Esq. much to the disapproval of her parents; he was apparently ‘the lowest of all her suitors’ but it was his ‘sober religious character’ which finally won them over. Here she begins, what can only be described as, her career in childbirth. 1652 sees Alice’s first tragedy when she miscarried, we don’t know how far the pregnancy had progressed but the child was a girl and buried the next day. After this she describes ‘a great sickness’ lasting almost a year, it is not clear if this was physical or emotional sickness. Baby Alice the second child was born in 1654 with a third Elizabeth in 1655 and fourth Katherine in 1656. Sadly Elizabeth died in September 1656 which Alice (senior) attributes to rickets. In September 1657 whilst heavily pregnant with her fifth child Alice has a fall, the child (a boy) is born in December but in the breach position. The child dies within an hour having been ‘strangled almost in the birth’ presumably by the umbilical cord and Alice is convinced that the fall in September whilst ‘being great with child’ caused the position of the baby. In the subsequent years Alice has a further 3 children 2 of which also die in infancy. One of her last entries relating to her children describes what may have been a case of mastitis, she notes her: ‘left breast is so swollen that I fear the gangrene and extreme pain has cast me into fever’. The remainder of Alice’s diary in a catalogue of death, illness and sadness and who can blame her, she outlived her husband and at least 5 of her children. This diary gives an example of a typical life for women in the 17th century. The requirement to marry, but then the duty to produce child after child with no pain relief and limited medical knowledge, all with the back drop of political and religious turmoil. It must have been terrifying!
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:54:42 +0000
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