Prose
Journal
Unpublished in full.
*MiG 1
Autograph autobiographical journal of Grace Mildmay, in her neat italic hand with various corrections, deletions and revisions in her secretary hand, a family tree added in another hand, iii + 85 pages (plus blanks), in half-leather. Written to cover ‘a great part of the pilgrimage of my Whole life’ (p. 59), a section cited by her (p. 30) as ‘This book of my Meditation’ including (p. 32 et seq.) her ‘obseruation’ of her father-in-law Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer (‘having been with him almost twenty Yeares’), and (p. 67) declaring ‘My deare childe Mildmay Fane, I your louing & old grandmother exhort you in the name of the Lorde, receiue my wordes acceptably...’. c.1617-20.
Later in the library of Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bt (1792-1872), manuscript and book collector: Phillipps MS 2569.
A CD of this MS is in the British Library, EC.2008.x.721. Extensive extracts are published in Randall Martin, ‘The Autobiography of Grace, Lady Mildmay’, Renaissance and Reformation, NS 18/1 (Winter, 1994), 33-81, and in Linda Pollock, With Faith and Physic: The Life of a Tudor Gentlewoman, Lady Grace Mildmay, 1552-1620 (London, 1993), passim. Facsimile of p. 11, with transcription, in Reading Early Modern Women, ed. Helen Ostovich and Elizabeth Sauer (New York & London, 2004), pp. 254-5.
Northamptonshire Central Library, Northamptonshire Studies Collection, Accession No. 7839.
Medical Papers
MiG 2
A folio volume comprising a compilation of Grace Mildmay's medical writings, predominantly in one neat largely secretary hand, headed (f. 3r) ‘Certaine breife Collections and obseruations disgested into fowre bookes...left in writeinge by that reuerend Lady the Lady Mildmay of Apthorpe in the County of Northampton’, 55 leaves (plus numerous blanks), in contemporary vellum boards, labelled on the spine ‘collected by Lady G. Mildmay’. Assembled by members of her family after her death, including items headed ‘...the treasure of this my worthy Mothers minde’. c.1620s?
Extracts from this MS in Linda Pollock, With Faith and Physic: The Life of a Tudor Gentlewoman, Lady Grace Mildmay, 1552-1620 (London, 1993), pp. 110-27.
MiG 3
A quarto receipt book, including medical receipts of Grace, Lady Mildmay, in one or more formal secretary and italic hands, 157 pages (plus numerous blanks), in contemporary calf gilt. Late 16th-early 17th century.
Extracts from this MS in Linda Pollock, With Faith and Physic: The Life of a Tudor Gentlewoman, Lady Grace Mildmay, 1552-1620 (London, 1993), pp. 127-40.
*MiG 4
A folio composite volume of papers of Grace Mildmay, in various hands and paper sizes, partly autograph, 22 leaves, in paper wrappers. Including (f. 1r) an autograph receipt sent by Grace Mildmay to her housekeeper (‘My good besse’), (ff. 4r, 5r, 8r, 10v, 12r, 13r-15v, 18r) other autograph medical receipts and notes in her rugged italic hand, one ‘for Elizabeth fetherston, for her vometing’, with copies of other medical receipts (one endorsed by her as ‘A french receit of an excelent pill’, another on ff. 20r-v, 21v, concerning ‘a poore woman’, with her autograph additions), an original letter to her by ‘Higgins’ about her simples (f. 9r-v), one about receipts by ‘De Heriss’ dated 20 July 1598, and (f. 22r) a letter to her by Reginald Caters, dated 1607, also with her annotations. c.1598-1607.
Extracts from this MS in Linda Pollock, With Faith and Physic: The Life of a Tudor Gentlewoman, Lady Grace Mildmay, 1552-1620 (London, 1993), pp. 140-2.
Letters
Letter(s)
MiG 5
Copy of a letter of advice, beginning ‘My Deere childe Mildmay Fane I your lovinge olde Grandmother exhort you...’ and subscribed ‘Your loving Grandmother GRACE MILDMAY’, in an italic hand.
In: An octavo volume comprising a compilation of Mildmay and Fane family papers, some signed ‘Mary Fane’, in three or more largely italic hands, 52 leaves (plus numerous blanks), in a cover embroidered in coloured and silver thread.
This MS recorded in Linda Pollock, With Faith and Physic: The Life of a Tudor Gentlewoman, Lady Grace Mildmay, 1552-1620 (London, 1993).
Text of this letter in Linda Pollock, With Faith and Physic: The Life of a Tudor Gentlewoman, Lady Grace Mildmay, 1552-1620 (London, 1993), pp. 42-4. Discussed in Susan E. Hrach, ‘“Heare Councill and Receiue Instructions”: Situating the Mother's Legacy in Manuscript’, in New Ways of Looking at Old Texts, III, ed. W. Speed Hill (Tempe, AZ, 2006), pp. 207-15.
Northamptonshire Record Office, W(A) Misc Vol. 35, ff. 4r-11r.
MiG 6
Copy of a letter of advice, beginning ‘My deare child Mildmay Fane I yr louinge & olde Grandmother Exhort you...’ and subscribed ‘Your loving Grandmother Grace Mildmay’.
In: A duodecimo miscellany of verse and prose, much relating to the Fane and Mildmay families, in a single predominantly italic hand, 130 leaves, in contemporary calf, remains of silk ties. Compiled by Sir Francis Fane (c.1612-80), of Fulbeck Hall, Northamptonshire, with his signed dedications to his son Henry (ff. 2r-v, 130r) dated respectively 1 January ‘1655’ and ‘20th. of Augt: 1663’. c.1655-63.
Text of this letter in Linda Pollock, With Faith and Physic: The Life of a Tudor Gentlewoman, Lady Grace Mildmay, 1552-1620 (London, 1993), pp. 42-4. Discussed in Susan E. Hrach, ‘“Heare Councill and Receiue Instructions”: Situating the Mother's Legacy in Manuscript’, in New Ways of Looking at Old Texts, III, ed. W. Speed Hill (Tempe, AZ, 2006). pp. 207-15.
Manuscripts Owned by Grace Mildmay
Document
*MiG 7
A lease by Sir Walter Mildmay, to Henry Coddenham, for land in Northamptonshire, 5 November 1551, endorsed by Grace, Lady Mildmay, in 1619, ‘found in my husband's Cabinett...’ etc. 1619.
Northamptonshire Record Office, W(A) Box 4 Parcel IV, No. 3/c1.
To the honorable Lady the Ladie Mildmaye
MiG 8
MS of an untitled tract by Henry Thorne, presented to Lady Mildmay, in a single rounded secretary hand, headed ‘To the honorable Lady the Ladie Mildmaye Henrie Thorne wishethe health, happines, & continuance of gods grates’, beginning ‘Madam, I may plead Peters pouertie...’, 35 octavo leaves, in contemporary vellum boards, inscribed (partly perforated) on the cover ‘To the Ladie Grace Mildmaye’. Late 16th-early 17th century.