Cherry Potts, Writer

Tag: Queen Anne

  • The Historical Birthday-Tea Party 12th February

    Once more I am short of a specific birthday to celebrate, so back to the seventeenth century and to Frances Apsley 1653–1727. Frances was the object of affection of a youthful Mary Stuart, who became that strange binomial monarch ‘William&Mary’, or more correctly Mary II of England. Mary was older sister to Queen Anne, and…

  • The Historical Birthday-Tea Party 7th February

    The 7th February is another date I have found no candidate for so here is Mary de la Rivière Manley 1663-1724 Mary was briefly the editor of The Examiner, a Tory paper. She was the first English woman political journalist. She was arrested for her publication The New Atlantis (Secret memoirs and manners of several…

  • The Historical Birthday-Tea Party 6th February

    Queen Anne 6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714 Anne is reknowned for her passionate relationships with women, extraordinarily well documented, largely thanks to her longest lasting passion Sarah Jennings (later Churchill), whokept all the Queen’s letters to her, and wrote an autobiography which is surprisingly (and perhaps naively) frank. (see also Cicely Cornwallis, Elizabeth…

  • The Historical Birthday-Tea Party 26th January

    Today’s birthday belongs to Elizabeth Percy (26 January 1667 – 24 November 1722) the last of Queen Anne’s intimate lady friends. Elizabeth was one of the richest heiresses of her time and as such was the centre of many intrigues. She was married at 12 to Henry Cavendish, widowed at 13 and married again aged…

  • The Historical Birthday-Tea Party 20th January

    late again! In my defense, an over-long dress rehearsal for Orpheus followed by a rehearsal for Vocal Chords put a bit of a dent in the day. So the 20th of January: not exactly a vintage day for lesbians, at least that I have found dates for – so lets meet Cicely Cornwallis, 1656 – 1723,…

  • The Historical Birthday-Tea Party 10th January

    That enchantress, Abigail Hill Masham. Here’s a nice obscure lesbian for you – no birthdate, (best guess 1670’s) but sufficiently influential because of her relationship with Queen Anne to have caused quite a furore in her lifetime. If you know anything about Queen Anne and her female friends, then it is probably Sarah Churchill you…