Sarah Jinner (fl. 1658 – 1664) 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 ...

compiler of almanacs and a medical practitioner. She is considered one of the first women to be a professional writer in what is now the United Kingdom.

Life

The details of Jinner's life are largely unknown. She is thought to have been a supporter of the

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...

s and she must have received some education. We know of her existence because annual almanacs that she wrote are extant. They were aimed at educated people and the medical subjects are biased towards women. The almanacs were published between 1658 and 1664. Almanacs were one of the sources of medical advice and it was unusual to have a woman as the named author. Jinner's portrait is included as a woodcut and the books reveal her Royalist sympathies. The books are frank about women's medical issues and Jinner's confidence in women to cope with medical treatment. She is the first woman known to have written almanacs and she and

Hannah Woolley Hannah Woolley, sometimes spelled Wolley, (1622 – c.1675) was an English writer who published early books on household management; she was probably the first person to earn a living doing this. Life Her mother and elder sisters were all skil ...

are considered the first women professional writers. Their writings show the freedoms that were available during the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

and the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

of the monarchy. Within the almanac she replies to a letter and the accusation of

Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...

that women are just imperfect men. She notes that leading women like

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

show no sign of being imperfect men. Her almanacs provide an insight into female sexuality and related public discussion. Jinner's book provides astrological advice about when, and when women should not, satisfy their desires. Her books describe physical symptoms and offered herbal remedies for treating gynaecological ailments. Her advice is drawn from two other publications available from the same publisher. Jinner advises wives on recipes that can be used as

aphrodisiacs An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. Substances range from a variety of plants, spices, foods, and synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs like cannabis or cocain ...

to encourage "fruitfulness" in men or women for the "comfort of man and women" and she hints at recipes to discreetly combat impotence.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jinner, Sarah 17th-century English writers 17th-century English women writers Year of birth missing Year of death missing