Elizabeth Tollet
Elizabeth Tollet (1694-1754) was an English poet known for her contributions to early 18th-century literature, particularly within feminist themes. Born into a family connected to the British navy, she received a private education that likely included studies in mathematics and science, influenced by her father's educational endeavors. Tollet's literary work gained recognition with the publication of her poetry, first anonymously in 1724 and later under her own name in 1755. Her poems often highlighted the struggles of historical women, such as Mary, Queen of Scots, and Lady Jane Grey, and showcased her admiration for female writers like Lady Wortley Montagu and Anne Finch. Writing primarily in heroic couplets, she addressed complex themes through her verses, including the biblical character Susanna and the fate of the philosopher Hypatia. Notably, Tollet is believed to have met Sir Isaac Newton, who appreciated her poetic talent, and she mourned his passing with an elegy. Despite remaining unmarried, she lived comfortably due to her father's legacy until her death in Westham, where she was buried.
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Elizabeth Tollet
Poet
- Born: March 11, 1694
- Birthplace: Westmorland, England?
- Died: February 1, 1754
- Place of death:
Biography
Elizabeth Tollet was born in 1694, the daughter of George Tollet, who was appointed to an administrative position with the British navy in 1701 and later was stationed in the Tower of London, where he lived with his family until 1714. Although records are sketchy, Tollet appears to have had two younger brothers who attended Westminster School.
Tollet apparently received a private education, as indicated in the preface to her single volume of poems, published anonymously in 1724 and enlarged and printed under her own name in 1755. That preface praises her learning and her father’s generosity in leaving her sufficient money to live her later years in comfort. Her father also may have played a role in her mathematical and scientific education. Some years before Tollet’s birth, he had tutored a young girl and took her to meetings of the Dublin Philosophical Society to demonstrate her academic skills; this event suggests he might have provided similar teaching to his daughter.
Tollet’s early life in the Tower of London appears to have drawn her attention to oppressed women as subjects for some of her poems, most notably Mary, Queen of Scots; Lady Jane Grey; and Anne Boleyn, whom she depicts in the poem “Anne Boleyn to King Henry VIII: An Epistle.” Tollet also was interested in the work of female writers, praising the writing of Lady Wortley Montagu and Anne Finch, countess of Winchelsea. Some of her other poems include feminist themes, particularly a poem on the character of Susanna, the accused innocent from the Bible’s apocryphal book of Susanna. “Hypatia” recounts the fate of Hypatia, an educated woman in fifth century Alexandria. Tollet’s poems typically are written in heroic couplets, the prevailing poetic form of the period.
It seems probable that Tollet met Sir Isaac Newton during the years she lived in the Tower of London, a period when he was working at the London Mint Office. One scholar has found evidence that Newton liked Tollet’s poetry, and she composed an elegy on his death in 1727. Tollet never married. Her father’s generous bequest allowed her to live in Stratford and Westham after his death. She died in 1754 and was buried in Westham.