A Curious Herbal, By Elizabeth Blackwell (1739)
A genteel English woman of the 18th century had few resources to fall back on if her husband proved unable to support her financially. A girl’s education generally emphasized elegant accomplishments like drawing, music, and fine needlework, rather than practical skills. So when Elizabeth Blachrie Blackwell’s neer-do-well husband landed in a London debtor’s prison in... Continue reading “A Curious Herbal, By Elizabeth Blackwell (1739)” ›