George Ballard (biographer)

George Ballard (c. 1706 – June 1755) was an English antiquary and biographer, the author of Memoirs of British Ladies (1752).

Life

Ballard was born at Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. Self-educated, Ballard taught himself Saxon while working in a habit-maker's shop, and attracted the attention of the Saxon scholar Elizabeth Elstob. Lord Chedworth and other local gentleman provided him with an annuity of £60 a year, enabling Ballard to move to Oxford to use the Bodleian Library. Dr. Jenner appointed him a clerk of Magdalen College, Oxford, and he subsequently became a university beadle.

Ballard died young, and his only printed publication was Memoirs of several ladies of Great Britain, who have been celebrated for their writings, or skill in the learned languages, arts and sciences (1752). This quarto volume was published by subscription, and dedicated to Sarah Talbot of Kineton, the wife of the clergyman William Talbot of Kineton who had helped him receive patronage as a young man, and Mary Delany. The first woman treated by Ballard's Memoirs was Juliana of Norwich; the last was Constantia Grierson (1704/5–1732).

Ballard left a large manuscript collection, and his substantial correspondence, to the Bodleian.

Subjects of Memoirs of British Ladies

This is a list of the women who are treated in George Ballard's book Memoirs of British Ladies. Ballard provided memoirs for over 60 women, presenting them in chronological order.

• Anne Askew ('Anne Askew, alias Kyme') (1521–1546), Protestant martyr
• 'Mary Astell' (1688–1731), miscellaneous writer
• Ann Baynard, 'Anne Baynard' (1672–1697), savant
• Margaret Beaufort ('Margaret Countess of Richmond and Derby') (1443–1509), mother of Henry VII
• Juliana Berners, 'Juliana Barnes, alias Berners' (b. ca. 1388), writer
• Elizabeth Blake, Elizabeth Berkeley, 'Elizabeth Burnet' (1661–1709), religious writer, married Gilbert Burnet
• Catherine of Aragon ('Queen Catherine') (1485–1536), queen consort
• Catherine Parr ('Queen Katherine Parr') (1512–1548), queen consort
• Katherine Chidley (fl. 1616–1653), religious controversialist & Leveller
• Lady Anne Clifford, 'Anne Countess of Pembroke' (1590–1676), autobiographer
• Ann Cooke, married name Ann Bacon, 'Lady Bacon' (1528–1610), daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke, mother of Francis Bacon
• Catherine Cooke, 'Katherine Killigrew' (c. 1530-1583), daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke
• Elizabeth Cooke, Elizabeth Russell, 'Lady Russel' (1528–1609), linguist, daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke
• Margaret Cooke, married name Margaret Rowlett (d. 1558), gentlewoman, daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke
• Mildred Cooke, Mildred Cecil, 'Lady Burleigh' (1526–1689), daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke, married William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
• Damaris Cudworth, 'Lady Masham' (1658–1708), philosopher & theological author
• Elizabeth Egerton, née Cavendish, 'Elizabeth countess of Bridgwater' (1626–1663), writer
• 'Queen Elizabeth' (1533–1603)
• 'Lady Elizabeth Fane' (d. 1568), writer & literary patron
• Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea, née Kingsmill, 'Anne Countess of Winchelsea' (1661–1720), poet
• Elizabeth Fisher, married name 'Elizabeth Bland' (b. c.1660, d. in or after 1712?), Hebraist
• Joanna Fitzalan (Jane Lumley), classicist
• Mary Fitzalan, Countess of Arundel (born Mary Arundell; also Mary Ratcliffe; 'Mary Countess of Arundel') (d. 1557)
• Mary Howard, duchess of Norfolk ('Lady Mary Howard') (1539/40–1557)
• Frances Freke, married name Frances, Lady Norton, 'Lady Norton' (1640–1731), writer
• Margaret Giggs, later 'Margaret Clement' (1508–1570), niece and adopted daughter of Sir Thomas More
• 'Constantia Grierson', née Crawley (c. 1706-1733), classicist
• Anne Halkett, née Murray, royalist & writer
• 'Susanna Hopton', née Harvey (1627–1709), religious writer
• Margaret Howe, married name 'Margaret Ascham', literary editor, wife of Roger Ascham
• Lady Jane Howard, married name Lady Jane Neville, 'Jane Countess of Westmorland' (1537–1593), noblewoman
• 'Esther Inglis' or Esther Langlois, married name Esther Kello (1570/71-1624), calligrapher & miniaturist
• Lady Jane Grey ('Lady Jane Gray') (1537–1554)
• Julian of Norwich ('Juliana, Anchoret of Norwich') (1343–1443), anchorite & writer
• 'Margery Kempe' (c.1373-c.1440), religious writer
• 'Anne Killigrew' (1660–1685), poet & painter
• Elizabeth Knevitt, Countess of Lincoln, married name Elizabeth Clinton, 'Elizabeth Countess of Lincoln' (1574?–1630?), noblewoman & writer
• Elizabeth Lawrence, married name 'Elizabeth Bury' (1644–1720), nonconformist
• Anne Lee, married name 'Anne Wharton' (1659–1685), poet
• Mary Lee, 'Lady Chudleigh' (1656–1710), writer
• 'Elizabeth Legge' (1580–1685), linguist & poet
• 'Elizabeth Lucar' (Elizabeth Withypoll), calligrapher
• Margaret Lucas, 'Margaret Duchess of Newcastle' (c. 1624-1674), writer and biographer
• Mary I, Queen of England and Ireland ('Queen Mary') (1516–1688)
• 'Mary Queen of Scotland' (1542–1587)
• Mary Molesworth, 'Honorable Mrs. Monk' (d. 1715), poet
• Cecilia More ('Cecilia Heron'), Latinist & daughter of Thomas More
• Elizabeth More, married name 'Elizabeth Dancy', daughter of Thomas More
• 'Honorable Mrs Dudleya North' (1675–1712), orientalist linguist
• Grace Norton, Grace Lady Gethin, 'Lady Gethin' (1676–1697), essayist
• 'Lady Pakington', Dorothy Coventry, (d. 1679), writer
• 'Blanch Parry' (1508-1589), antiquary
• 'Katherine Philips', née Fowler (1631–1684), poet
• Catherina or Catherine Riches, married name Catherina Boevey or 'Catherine Bovey' (d. 1726), philanthropist
• 'Margaret Roper', née More (1505–1544), scholar & daughter of Thomas More
• 'Mary Roper', married name Mary Bassett (d. 1572), classicist
• Elizabeth Sadler, married name 'Elizabeth Walker' (1623–1690), autobiographer & religious writer
• 'Lady Anne Seymour', married name Anne Dudley, Countess of Warwick (1538–1587), poet
• 'Lady Jane Seymour' (1541–1561), poet
• 'Lady Margaret Seymour' (b. 1540), poet
• Mary Sidney, married name Mary Herbert, 'Mary Countess of Pembroke' (1561–1621), poet & sister of Sir Philip Sidney
• Arbella Stuart, 'Lady Arabella Seymour' (1575–1615), royal heiress
• 'Catherine Tishem'or Catherine Thysmans, scholar, mother of Jan Gruter
• Lady Eleanor Touchet, 'Lady Eleanor Davies' (1590–1652), prophetess, married to John Davies (poet)
• 'Elizabeth Jane Weston' (bap. 1581?, d. 1612), scholar & linguist

References

• Allibone, S. A. A critical dictionary of English literature. 1859-71.
• Ballard, George. ''Memoirs of several ladies of Great Britain. Edited with an introduction by Ruth Perry. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1985.
• Chalmers, A. The general biographical dictionary. 1812-1817.
• (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)