The History of Joseph

Elizabeth Singer Rowe was born on September 11th, 1674 in Ilchester, Somerset. She was the eldest of three daughters to a minister father, Walter Singer and mother Elizabeth Portnell, who were both well respected people from good families. Elizabeth started writing at the age of 12 and by 19 she had many of her poems printed in the Athenian Mercury published by Dunton who was also to publish her first volume of poetry which included devotional hymns and pastorals. Society at the time was very male-centric, women were not seen as artists, unless of course they were wealthy. Her first volume however included a defence of a woman's right to create poetry and critical of men's tyranny in the art. She became extremely popular both for her work which broadened to include a wide range of styles and her character, which was often exemplified as the perfect female, as she was said to be very beautiful as well as chaste and moral. It was a combination that easily found patronage and a long list of suitors. She married a much younger man, Thomas Rowe, but he was to die of tuberculosis after only five years of marriage. Elizabeth continued to write and became one of the most widely read English authors of the 18th century with many reprints and translations of her work. Elizabeth Singer Rowe died of apoplexy aged 62 in 1737.