Biographies of Reformation, Puritan, Covenanter and Huguenot Women of the Faith

(Miss Katherine G. Myers reading Marie Durand by Simonetta Carr)

I have often been asked to help provide biographical resources regarding leading ladies of the Reformation, Puritan, Scottish Covenanter and French Huguenot eras. Considering the volumes that have been written on Martin Luther’s “Katie” alone, such a list could be endless; but I have attempted here to consolidate the key resources that I would recommend, along with links to these volumes either in print or online for handy reference. I have left out such ladies as Anne Hutchinson, Marie Dentière, and Anna Maria van Schurman (known as “The Tenth Muse”), each of whom would require a separate blog post. There were many godly women who stood alongside the godly men of those days. Their stories are worthy to read and remain inspirational today.

1. J.H. Alexander, Ladies of the Reformation

2. James Anderson, Ladies of the Reformation: Memoirs of Distinquished Female Characters Belonging to the Period of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century... England, Scotland, and the Netherlands

3. James Anderson, The Ladies of the Covenant: Memoirs of distinguished Scottish female characters, embracing the period of the Covenant and the persecution

4. James Anderson, Memorable Women of the Puritan Times (Vol. 1; Vol. 2)

5. Roland Bainton, Women of the Reformation: In France and England The great biographer of Martin Luther has also spanned Europe to make known the stories of godly women of the Reformation era.

6. Roland Bainton, Women of the Reformation: In Germany and Italy

7. Roland Bainton: Women of the Reformation: From Spain to Scandinavia

8. Donald Beaton, Scottish Heroines of the Faith: Being Brief Sketches of Noble Women of the Reformation and Covenant Times

9. W.P. Breed, Jenny Geddes, or, Presbyterianism And Its Great Conflict With Despotism (See the first chapter particularly)

10. Simonetta Carr, Lady Jane Grey Simonetta Carr has done a great service to the church by her biographies, which are geared towards younger readers.

11. Simonetta Carr, Marie Durand Marie Durand was a French Camisard of whom I have written previously.

13. Simonetta Carr, Weight of a Flame: The Passion of Olympia Monata

14.William Chapman, Notable Women of the Covenant: Their Lives and Times

15. Faith Cook, Anne Bradstreet: Pilgrim and Poet Anne Bradstreet was also known as “The Tenth Muse.”

16. Faith Cook, Lady Jane Grey: Nine-Day Queen of England

17. W.H. Davenport Adams, The Sunshine of Domestic Life; or, Sketches of Womanly Virtues, and Stories of the Lives of Noble Women

18. J. Meldrum Dryerre, Heroes and Heroines of the Scottish Covenanters

19. Alice Morse Earle, Margaret Winthrop: Biography of a Puritan Woman, the Wife of John Winthrop, First Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony

20. James I. Good, [Famous] Women of the Reformed Church

21. John C. Johnston, Treasury of the Scottish Covenant (see the chapters on “The Women of the Covenant” and “The Wigtown Martyrs”)

21. Ernst Kroker, The Mother of the Reformation: The Amazing Life and Story of Katharine Luther

22. Hope Irvin Marston, Against the Tide: The Valor of Margaret Wilson The story of Margaret Wilson is inspirational, but heart-wrenching, so let the reader be forewarned.

23. J.C. McFeeters, Sketches of the Covenanters (see the chapter titled “The Daughters of the Covenant”)

24. Heidi L. Nichols, Anne Bradstreet: A Guided Tour of the Life and Thought of a Puritan Poet

25. Leslie Nuernberg, Only Glory Awaits: The Story of Anne Askew

26. Alexander Smellie, Men of the Covenant (see the chapter titled “Those Women Which Laboured in the Gospel”)

27. Ernst Staehelin, Frau Wibrandis: A Woman in the Time of Reformation

28. Rebecca VanDoodeward, Reformation Women: Sixteenth-Century Figures Who Shaped Christianity’s Rebirth

29. John T. Wilkinson, ed., Richard Baxter and Margaret Chilton: A Puritan Love Story; Being the Breviate of the Life of Margaret Baxter (Breviate online; J.I. Packer, A Grief Sanctified)

30. Paul F.M. Zahl, Five Women of the English Reformation The five women are: Anne Boleyn, Katharine Parr, Jane Grey, Anne Askew and Catherine Willoughby.

I wish to also commend the poetry of Elizabeth Melville, Lady Culross; the poetry of Anne Locke; the writings of Elizabeth West; the epic poem of Lucy Hutchinson; the memoirs of Mary Rich, Countess of Warwick; and the diary of Margaret Hoby; among other such writings.

MHCC 52: Why Was Eve Formed From Adam's Rib?

In the famous Commentary of Matthew Henry, we find a beautiful summary of why woman was created in the Garden of Eden from the rib of Adam rather than from the earth like Adam was. 

“ 4. That the woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved. Adam lost a rib, and without any diminution to his strength or comeliness (for, doubtless, the flesh was closed without a scar); but in lieu thereof he had a help meet for him, which abundantly made up his loss: what God takes away from his people he will, one way or other, restore with advantage. In this (as in many other things) Adam was a figure of him that was to come; for out of the side of Christ, the second Adam, his spouse the church was formed, when he slept the sleep, the deep sleep, of death upon the cross, in order to which his side was opened, and there came out blood and water, blood to purchase his church and water to purify it to himself. See Eph. v. 25, 26.” – Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary Upon the Whole Bible (1708-1710, 1991, 2006), p. 10 (Gen. 2.21)

This quote, often-repeated, highlights the companionship that God intended for husband and wife. As Henry no doubt would acknowledge, this understanding of the relationship between man and wife was not unique to him. As it turns out (here I wish to thank Adam Brink for highlighting this point) there is a long theological pedigree to this idea which predates Matthew Henry by centuries. In this blog post, I will provide citations to other theologians who have made this very point. This list may not be complete (allusions to this idea may be found in Augustine and earlier), but it shows a trajectory of thought which is historically intriguing, at least to this researcher, and each contribution along the way has its own particular and profound eloquence.

“Adam lost a rib, but he got a better thing instead of it, even a help meet for him. Thus God uses to deal with his children: they lose sometimes some of their creature-comforts; but then perhaps they get more of the Creator’s comforts, and that’s a blessed exchange. This bone was taken out of Adam’s side, fitly noting the woman’s place: not out of his head, to be above him; nor out of his feet, to be trampled on by him; nor from before him, as his better; nor from behind him, as his servant; -- but out of his side, to be equal with him; near his heart, for he owes her love; under his arm, for he owes her protection. Surely they forget from whence the woman was taken, that carry themselves haughtily and abusively towards their wives.” – Philip Henry (1631-1696), An Exposition…Upon the First Eleven Chapters of Genesis (1682, 1839), p. 56 (Gen. 2.21) * This commentary by Matthew Henry’s father was written by the hand of Matthew Henry in 1682.

*** 

 “The woman was taken out of this part, not out of the higher or lower parts, to show that she is neither to be her husband’s mistress, to usurp authority over him, 1 Tim. ii.12; nor yet to be his slave, to be abused, despised, or trampled under his feet; but to be kindly treated, and used like a companion, with moderation, respect, and affection.” – Matthew Poole (1624-1679), “Annotations Upon the Holy Bible” (1683-1685), Vol. 1, p. 7 (Gen. 2.21). * “One fact is certain from internal evidence, that Mr. Henry wrote his Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, with the learned compilation of Poole, called Criticorum Synopsis, open before him; as, in all difficult passages, he has judiciously selected that opinion from the many presented in this work, which, upon the whole, seems to be most probable.” – Archibald Alexander, Preface to Matthew Henry’s Commentary

*** 

“To honour marriage more yet, or rather to teach the married how to honour one another, it is said that the wife was made of the husband's rib, Gen. ii.22; not of his head, for Paul calleth the husband the wife's head, Ephes. v. 23; not of the foot, for he must not set her at his foot. The servant is appointed to serve, and the wife to help. If she must not match with the head, nor stoop at the foot, where shall he set her then? He must set her at his heart, therefore she which should lie in his bosom was made in his bosom, and should be as close to him as his rib, of which she was fashioned.” – Henry Smith (1560-1591), A Preparative to Marriage (1591), p. 8

*** 

"It was right for the woman to be made from a rib of man. First, to signify the social union of man and woman, for the woman should neither "use authority over man," and so she was not made from his head; nor was it right for her to be subject to man's contempt as his slave, and so she was not made from his feet." -- Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225–1274), Summa Theologiae (1265–1274, 1485), Pars Prima, Quest. 92, Art. 3 * Thomas Aquinas wrote a commentary on Peter Lombard’s Sentences.

 ***

“It is not good for man to be alone; let us make him a help like unto himself” – “‘like unto himself’ – this corresponds to equivalence. By this is indicated that the woman must be the equal of the man, or his companion, not under him and not above him. Also, the woman was made from man’s rib, not from the upper part or from the lower, but from the middle, that by it might be designated that woman must be man’s equal.” – Robert of Sorbon (1201-1274), De Matrimonio (Of Marriage) (c. 1260-1270) on Gen. 2.18

 ***

“WHY WOMAN WAS FORMED FROM THE MAN’S SIDE AND NOT FROM SOME OTHER PART OF HIS BODY. But although woman was made from man for these reasons, nevertheless she was formed not from just any part of his body, but from his side, so that it should be shown that she was created for the partnership of love, lest, if perhaps she had been made from his head, she should be perceived as set over man in domination; or if from his feet, as if subject to him in servitude. Therefore, since she was made neither to dominate, nor to serve the man, but as his partner, she had to be produced neither from his head, nor from his feet, but from his side, so that he would know that she was to be placed beside himself whom he had learned had been taken from his side.” -- Peter Lombard (1100-1160), Libri Quatuor Sententiarum (Sentences) (c. 1150), Bk. 2, Distinction 18, Ch. 2 (see also 3.18.3; 4.28.3.2; 4.28.4) * Peter Lombard was a pupil of Hugh of St. Victor.

***

“XXXV. Why woman was made from man, and why from the side.

But afterwards as a help to generation woman was made from man himself, since, if she had been made from another source, surely the beginning of all men would not have been one. Now she was made from the side of man that it might be shown that she was created for association in love, lest perhaps, if she had been made from the head, she would seem to be preferred to man unto damnation, or, if from the feet, to be subject unto slavery. Since, therefore, she was furnished to man neither as a mistress nor a handmaid but as a companion, she had to be produced neither from the head nor from the feet but from the side, in order that he might realize that she was to be placed beside him, whom he learned had been taken from his very side.” -- Hugh of St. Victor (c. 1096-1141), De Sacramentis (Sacraments of the Christian Faith) (c. 1134), Book I, Part VI, Sec. 35

*** 

“[God took one] of the ribs. Why was the woman formed from a rib? For if she were formed from his foot or hand or some other part she would stand in shame before him. Another interpretation is that it shows the greatest love, for the rib is, after all, closest to the heart, as it is said: the rib is the guardian of the heart.” – Anonymous (Irish), Commemoratio Geneseos (8^th Century)

In Which Women Deacons Were Approved by the Westminster Assembly

Let me tell you about the time that the Westminster Assembly passed a proposition authorizing in their Presbyterian church order that women be included in the office of deacon. The story is fascinating, especially of how it ends, and, well, maybe better told by Dr. Wayne Spear in his "Covenanted Uniformity in Religion: The Influence of the Scottish Commissioners on the Ecclesiology of the Westminster Assembly," pp. 119-121.

The Assembly still had before it another proposition from the Second Committee, 'That widows, which we read of, I Tim. v. 3, and elsewhere, are included under the name deacons.'[211] This came up for discussion on December 28 and 29, 1643.

The Independents, especially [Sidrach] Simpson and [William] Bridge, argued most strongly in the Assembly for the inclusion of deaconesses in the church. Simpson, for example, drew from 1 Timothy 5 the points that qualifications for the widow are given, some of them the same as are required for bishops and deacons; that she is to be enrolled, i.e., elected; and that she is not to depart from her employment.[212] Significantly, he related the passage in 1 Timothy to the text that was so central in the Independents' ecclesiology, Romans 12:6-8, understanding 'he that sheweth mercy' (with a curious change in gender) to refer explicitly to the widow, or deaconess. The position taken by the Independents was supported by other leading men of the Assembly only by Lazarus Seaman and George Gillespie. 

The notion that the widow in 1 Timothy 5 was a deaconess went back at least to [John] Calvin, who also appealed to Romans 12:8. In the Institutes, Calvin held that there are two grades of deacons: those who distribute alms, and those who devote themselves to the care of the poor and sick. 'Of this sort were the widows whom Paul mentions to Timothy [1 Tim. 5:9-10]. Women could fill no other public office than to devote themselves to the care of the poor.'[213] Calvin's teaching on this point was taken up by the English Separatists; Henry Barrow's A True Description out of the Word of God, of the Visible Church (1589) made a distinction between the 'most diligent and trusty deacons' and 'most loving and sober relievers' in the church.[214] The latter, who are designated as officers,

'must be women of sixty years of age at the least, for avoiding of inconveniences: they must be well reported of for good works, such as have nourished their children, such as have been harbourers to strangers: diligent and serviceable to the saints, compassionate and helpful to them in adversity, given to every good work, continuing in supplications and prayer night and day.'[215]

Some of the strongest leaders in the Assembly argued against including widows or deaconesses as officers, holding that they were, in the Timothy passage, the recipients rather than the bestowers of the alms of the church: [Charles] Herle, [Stephen] Marshall, [Herbert] Palmer, [Thomas] Temple, and [Cornelius] Burgess all took the negative side.[216]

When it came to a vote, the Assembly was evenly divided: the proposition passed by just one vote. Had [John] Lightfoot been present, the outcome would have been different, for he strongly opposed the proposition; but, as he said, 'It was my unfortunacy to be called into the city before it came to a vote.'[217] In the next session, there was a long debate on Romans 16:1-2 as a proof text, which ended in a negative vote, and the Assembly went on to other matters.[218]

In the process of editing, the only significant change  that was made in the section was that this reference to widows was quietly dropped. Although technically this amounted to changing a previous vote of the Assembly, it was not objected to, undoubtedly because of the divided opinion in the Assembly when the proposition was originally passed. As far as can be determined, the existence of deaconesses in the church was no more than a matter of theory, even for the advocates of their inclusion. 

[211] Lightfoot, Journal, 43.

[212] Lightfoot, Journal, 94-25.

[213] Calvin, Institutes, 4.3.9.

[214] In The Reformation of the Church, ed. Iain Murray (London: Banner of Truth, 1965), 197.

[215] Murray, Reformation, 99.

[216] Lightfoot, Journal, 94-96.

[217] Lightfoot, Journal, 96; Gillespie, Notes, 5. 

[218] Lightfoot, Journal, 97-98.

HT: Steve Bradley

Reformationfrau

Sometimes known as "The Bride of the Reformation" or, in German, Reformationfrau, Wibrandis Rosenblatt (1504-1564) was the wife of three notable Reformers, and a godly woman in her own right, as each of her husbands testified.

Born in Bad Säckingen, Germany, she first married Ludwig Keller (Cellarius), a craftsman from Basel, in 1524, with whom she had one daughter, before he died in 1526. Two years later, she married the Basel Reformer Johannes Oecolampadius (1482-1531), who, skilled in languages, served as an assistant both to Desiderius Erasmus and Ulrich Zwingli. Together, they had three children named Eusebius (godly), Irene (peace) and Aletheia (truth). While running the household and caring for children and other relations, she had occasion to offer hospitality to the poor, the sick, and travelers.

Oecolampadius was probably weakened in health by the news of Zwingli’s death. He gathered his children on the evening of November 21, 1531, and spoke to each of them. His voice was weak. At one point, someone asked him whether the light was too bright for him. He struck his breast and murmured with a smile (perhaps referring to his name as well as to the gospel), “Here's light enough within.” He died on November 23, 1531, in the presence of his wife and children. (John Dyck, "Johannes Oecolampadius: Lighthouse of the Reformation," WRS Journal 3:2 (August 1996) 22, 25-29)

After the death of Oecolampadius, and through the mediation of Martin Bucer (1491-1551), Wibrandis married the Strasbourg Reformer, Wolfgang Capito (1478-1541) in 1532. It was her third marriage and his second; his wife had died of the plague the previous year. When they married, her mother moved in with Wibrandis and Wolfgang, and Wibrandis' four children. As Frau Capito, Wibrandis bore five more children. Capito was present at the conference of Marburg and collaborated with Martin Bucer in the writing of the Confessio Tetrapolitana. Capito and the wife of Martin Bucer, Elizabeth (who, it is said, bore him 13 children), were both among the casualties when the plague struck Strasbourg in November 1541, as were at least three of Wibrandis' children. From her deathbed, Elizabeth encouraged Martin Bucer to marry Wibrandis after she was gone.

Wibrandis married Martin Bucer in April 1542. He had commended her to his good friend Wolfgang ten years before and spoke highly of her to his friend Ambrose Blaurer, while alluding to opposition to his second marriage from Catholic clergy on the grounds of "digamy" (elsewhere writing to Philip of Hesse that some objected "that I used to be a monk and took a nun to be my wife and now have a wife who was a widow" of two former priests):

Although I am past the age suited to marriage, I have nevertheless, in view of my circumstances and office, decided to follow the advice of my brothers and to marry the widow of Capito. As my response to the illegitimate canon laws about a second marriage (digamy), I would point to the law from Ezekiel 44 which does permit a priest to wed the widow of a priest. She still has four children: a girl from Oecolampadius, and a boy and two small girls from Capito. The latter, as you know, did not leave her very much on account of the tough luck he had with his money loans but thanks to the aid of Wendelin Rihel there is a little money with which to support her. As long as God gives me life and my income, we will keep that money -- however small the amount may be -- for the orphans and we will treat them as my own children. My motives for taking this step are (1) loneliness and (2) the danger which exists if a person starts a household with someone he does not know. Further, there is the virtuous character of this widow and the love I owe to the orphaned children of the man who made himself so useful to me. Pray the Lord for us so that our plans may be approved by Christ and be of the benefit to his church! (T. Schiess, Briefweschsel der Bruder Ambrosius and Thomas Blaurer, 1509-1548 1:105, quoted by H.J. Selderhuis, Marriage and Divorce in the Thought of Martin Bucer, p. 124)

He added that he chose her to be his wife "for in past years she has really proven that she is not only pure, honorable, faithful, and godly, but also a diligent helper, who fruitfully made herself useful to the church and has a gift for ministry as for many years she demonstrated in her marriage to those two precious men of God, Oecolampadius and Capito." Bucer missed his first wife, Elizabeth, but had a happy marriage to Wibrandis for nine years, and together they produced a daughter, also named Elizabeth. Bucer was away from him often, but when he moved to England in 1549, Wibrandis soon followed. It is evident how much he had missed his wife from a remark he made in a letter to a friend after her arrival: "My wife arrived just in time: I had become completely cold but she warmed me up again." In 1550, she returned to Strasbourg to make arrangements for the rest of the family to join them, before coming back to Cambridge. Bucer was himself ill in England, and took the opportunity to update his will, noting that Wibrandis would do fine on her own if he was not around, but expressing his desire that she should remarry in such a case. In fact, he died the next year, in 1551, and she never married again. King Edward VI gave her an award of 100 marks for services rendered to the Church of England by her husband. After a brief stay in Strasbourg, she settled in Basel again for the remainder of her life with her children and her elderly mother. Eventually, the plague reached her too, and she died of illness on November 1, 1564. She was interred in the grave of her second husband, Johannes Oecolampadius.

As Reformationfrau, three times a pastor's wife, Wibrandis, bore at least nine children and, like Ruth to Naomi, went to live where her husbands lived, and gave herself to the service of her family and the cause of Christ wherever he called her to serve. She is worthy of remembrance as a "mother in Israel" (Judges 5.7).

Inconstancy of Woman

It is proverbial among male poets and playwrights to speak of the frailty or inconstancy of woman. But Biblically speaking, constancy is a virtue of both sexes and inconstancy is a vice equally descriptive of both sexes. Puritan writer Samuel Torshell (1605-1650) makes this point by comparing Ruth and Reuben in his treatise The Woman's Glory (1645), pp. 74-77:

3. Constancie and Resolution is accounted a man-like vertue; and it is charged upon the other whole Sexe that they are inconstant and mutable. The Emperours Diocletian and Maximinian in a publike Instrument call Womens wils Momentanie. But to the contrarie, how famous was Ruth even for her Constancie, who notwithstanding all assaults against it, resolved that nothing but death should separate her from her husbands mother? Intreat me not (said she to Naomi) to leave thee, or to returne from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will goe; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou dyest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to me and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. She was not as Jacob said of his sonne Reuben, Unstable as water, and therefore he could not excell; but she strengthened her selfe, as the Originall Phrase is, or as our Interpreters have rendred the Text, She was stedfastly minded.