Prose
A discourse of ye teadiousnes of life and profitt of death
RiE 1
Elizabeth Richardson's précis of, and meditation on, the Countess of Pembroke's translation, in an unidentified hand, with her autograph corrections, headed ‘A discourse of ye teadiousnes of life and profitt of death’ and listed in her table of contents at the end (f. 86v) as ‘a Treatise declaring the troble of life, and profit of death. Finis. Elizabeth: Ashborn ham’.
In: A quarto volume of Elizabeth Richardson's instructions for her children, 86 leaves (including numerous blanks), in contemporary limp vellum gilt with initials ‘E A’.
Acquired in 1969 from Hammond, bookseller.
Edited from this MS, with a facsimile of f. 84r, in Margaret P. Hannay, ‘Elizabeth Ashburnham Richardson's Meditation on the Countess of Pembroke's Discourse’, EMS, 9 (2000), 114-28.
Instructions for my children, or any other Christian
Unpublished.
*RiE 2
A quarto volume, entitled (f. 1v) ‘Instructions for my children, or any other Christian, Directing to the performance of our duties, towardes God and Man drawne out of ye holy Scripture...’, in two neat italic hands, predominantly Elizabeth Ashburnham's and with her copious autograph revisions throughout, inscribed by her (f. 2r) ‘written at Ashbornham in Sussex anno. domin 1606. p. Elizabeth Ashbornham’ and the volume subscribed (f. 86v) ‘Finis. Elizabeth Ashbornham’, two other hands adding (f. 6r) a list of plate dated ‘The 6th of Feby. 1699’ and some even later scribbling (ff. 54r-57v passim) including a list of books. c.1606.
In: the MS described under RiE 1.
This MS discussed, with a facsimile of f. 2r, in Victoria E. Burke, ‘Elizabeth Ashburnham Richardson's “motherlie endeauors” in Manuscript’, EMS, 9 (2000), 98-113. A facsimile of f. 2r in Women's Writing in Stuart England, ed. Sylvia Brown (Stroud, 1999), p. 253. Also described in the online Perdita Project.
A Ladies Legacie to her Daughters. In three Books
First published in London, 1645. Women's Writing in Stuart England, ed. Sylvia Brown (Stroud, 1999), pp. 157-247.
*RiE 3
Autograph revisions and additions, in an exemplum of the printed edition of 1645, including a change of title to ‘A Mother's Legacie to Her Six Davghters’ and an autograph epistle presenting the work to her grandson Sir Edward Dering, complaining that ‘it is so falsly printed’ and needs correcting. c.1645.
Discussed in Victoria E. Burke, ‘Elizabeth Ashburnham Richardson's “motherlie endeauors” in Manuscript’, EMS, 9 (2000), 98-113 (P. 109). Facsimiles of the autograph presentation epistle in Women's Voices 1540-1700, ed. Charlotte F. Otten (Miami, 1992), p. 302, and, with a transcription, in Reading Early Modern Women, ed. Helen Ostovich and Elizabeth Sauer (New York & London, 2004), pp 226-7.
*RiE 4
Copious autograph revisions in an exemplum of the printed edition of 1845, including a change of the title, ‘The tytle is A Mothers Legacie To Her sixe Davghters’, inscribed ‘Written 1625’, presented to her brother Sir John Beaumont. c.1645.
Discussed, with facsimiles of the first page and sigs D2v-D2r, in Victoria E. Burke, ‘Elizabeth Ashburnham Richardson's “motherlie endeauors” in Manuscript’, EMS, 9 (2000), 98-113 (pp. 109-10). Facsimile of the first page also in Women's Writing in Stuart England, ed. Sylvia Brown (Stroud, 1999), p. 161.
*RiE 5
An octavo volume, partly autograph, partly in two other hands, with copious autograph revisions throughout, headed ‘A Rememberance for my foure Daughters. / Elizabeth. Frances. Anne. & Katherine’, with an injunction to her eldest daughter ‘Sweet Besse, (as you loue me) keep this, though you lost ye first. Eliza: Cramond 1635’, and with ‘Besse's’ inscription (on the front paste-down) ‘Eliza Cornwalleies Boocke’, financial receipts added on two pages later in the 18th century, 35 leaves (including 14 blanks), in contemporary limp vellum.with remains of silk ties. Closely related to the first book of the printed edition of 1645, which is there dated 1625 but here ‘August 1626’. 1635.
Signature on a receipt by John Walsh in 1766. Possibly re-acquired by the Ashburnham family after 1853.
Extracts from this MS in Women's Writing in Stuart England, ed. Sylvia Brown (Stroud, 1999), pp. 257-8. Discussed, with facsimiles of the front pastedown and ff. 1r and 7v-8r, in Victoria E. Burke, ‘Elizabeth Ashburnham Richardson's “motherlie endeauors” in Manuscript’, EMS, 9 (2000), 98-113.