Dorothy, Lady Pakington (1623 – 10 May 1679) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

friend and supporter of learned clergymen, and a writer of religious works. She was for many years reputed to be the author of ''

The Whole Duty of Man ''The Whole Duty of Man'' is an English high-church 'Protestant' devotional work, first published anonymously in 1658, with an introduction by Henry Hammond (1605-1660). It was both popular and influential for two centuries within the Anglican ...

''. She enjoyed the esteem and friendship of the most eminent divines of her time. Dr.

Henry Hammond Henry Hammond (18 August 1605 – 25 April 1660) was an English churchman, who supported the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. Early life He was born at Chertsey in Surrey on 18 August 1605, the youngest son of John Hammond (c. 155 ...

resided at her home for several years.

Early years

Dorothy Coventry was born in or near

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

about the middle of the reign of

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...

. She was the daughter of

Sir Thomas Coventry Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry (157814 January 1640) was a prominent English lawyer, politician and judge during the early 17th century. Education and early legal career He entered Balliol College, Oxford, in 1592, and the Inner Temple in ...

, the

Lord Keeper The Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and later of Great Britain, was formerly an officer of the English Crown charged with physical custody of the Great Seal of England. This position evolved into that of one of the Great Officers of ...

, and his second wife, Elizabeth (1583–1653), daughter of John Aldersey of Spurstow, Cheshire, and widow of William Pitchford.

Career

She married

Sir John Pakington, 2nd Baronet Sir John Pakington, 2nd Baronet (13 August 1621 – 1680) of Westwood House, near Droitwich, Worcestershire was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1679. He supported the Royalist cause in the ...

(1621–1680), of Westwood, Worcestershire. The couple had at least three surviving children: one son and two daughters. A fervent royalist, Dorothy Pakington wrote manuscript prayers, and shared in the circulation of religious and philosophical manuscripts in the group of clergymen around the king's chaplain,

. The extent of her reputation is shown by the fact that contemporaries believed her the author of ''

''. Although George Ballard defended this attribution, modern scholars instead follow two nineteenth-century writers —

Richard Barham Richard Harris Barham (6 December 1788 – 17 June 1845) was an English cleric of the Church of England, a novelist and a humorous poet. He was known generally by his pseudonym Thomas Ingoldsby and as the author of ''The Ingoldsby Legends''. ...

and C. E. Doble — who attributed the work to Hammond's friend

Richard Allestree Richard Allestree or Allestry ( ; 1621/22 – 28 January 1681) was an English Royalist churchman and provost of Eton College from 1665. Life The son of Robert Allestree, descended from an old Derbyshire family, he was born at Uppington in Shr ...

. She led a retired life, and devoted herself to learning, piety, and good works. She was the author of several religious books: ''The Gentleman’s Calling'', ''The Lady’s Calling'', ''The Government of the Tongue'', ''The Christian’s Birthright'', and ''The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety''. Pakington died 10 May 1679.

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

*Sara H. Mendelson
‘Pakington , Dorothy, Lady Pakington (bap. 1623, d. 1679)’
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 4 March 2007. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pakington, Dorothy 1623 births 1679 deaths 17th-century English writers 17th-century English women writers Daughters of barons English religious writers Wives of baronets Women religious writers Writers from London