John Knox and Womankind: a Reappraisal
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FEATURE John Knox and womankind: a reappraisal Maureen M Meikle o promote a woman to bear the mid-sixteenth century. There had reforming clerics such as rule, superiority, dominion or perhaps never been quite so many Christopher Goodman. None the less Tempire above any realm, nation, women in charge at the same time Knox’s timing of the First Blast or city is repugnant to nature, in European history and it was just proved to be catastrophic. The contumely to God, a thing most too much for Knox to bear! ferocity of its text caused his contrarious to his revealed will and In 1558 he had been living in supporters much embarrassment in approved ordinance, and finally it Geneva where he was a leading Geneva, Scotland, France and is the subversion of good order, and Calvinist reformer. Knox would England. Moreover it cost him vital all equity and justice. therefore have objected to anyone, support during a particularly difficult John Knox, The first blast of the male or female, who hindered the phase of the Reformation. The last trumpet against the monstrous regiment progress of the Protestant person Knox would have wanted to of women, 1558. Reformation. However, when these antagonise at this time was the obstacles collectively were ruling ostensibly Protestant Queen John Knox’s infamous remarks about women he felt obliged to lash out in Elizabeth of England, yet this was the ‘monstrous regiment’ are print. Knox’s zeal was quickly precisely what he did do. frequently repeated in modern day undermined, however, for in between It is perhaps a misfortune of media, but few people today realise writing and publishing the First Blast publishing history that Knox’s that the target of his wrath was not of the trumpet against the monstrous slightly more balanced Second Blast womenkind in general.1 To call all regiment of women Mary Tudor died. and Third Blast, which criticised sixteenth-century women, or any This was a classic case of bad timing tyrannous leaders regardless of their women for that matter, a ‘monstrous in the publishing world for now that gender, were never printed. His regiment’ is to portray them in his bête noire had gone, Mary’s sister targets here were monarchs entirely the wrong light. When John and successor Elizabeth Tudor took ‘unworthy of regiment above the Knox was writing his notorious First great offence at his book. Elizabeth people of God.’ One thing is very Blast his intended targets were the would not directly attack Knox, but clear in all this – Knox never powerful ruling Catholic queens of she used subtle means to annoy him intended to denigrate ordinary mid-sixteenth century Britain and such as barring him from entering women. He knew and respected the Europe who were thwarting the England to travel back to Scotland place that women held within the spread of Calvinism. Therefore his in 1559. Knox wrote that ‘my First patriarchal Protestant family. This intended targets were Mary of Guise, Blast hath blown me from all my may well have been subservient to Governor of Scotland, Catherine de friends in England’ for, although the place of the husband, but it was Médicis, shortly to become Regent published anonymously, everyone often the mother who gave children of France and especially Mary Tudor, knew it was he who had written this their primary religious instruction. Queen Regnant of England.2 tract. To be fair, Knox’s opinions Women therefore served as a role ‘Regiment’ simply means rule and were not original for he was merely model for their children’s future Knox’s ‘monstrous regiment’ were reiterating contemporary opinion religious practice. Knox also these powerful Catholic queens of against female rulers, put forward by believed that men and women were 9 1560 Geneva translation of the Bible, Genesis, Ch,.3, v.21-22. Margery was happy to accompany her mother and fiancé, as her father would not have allowed her to marry Knox in England. Elizabeth and Margery’s actions defied all the patriarchal conventions of the period, for under English Common Law both women were the property of Richard and should have obeyed his wishes. Knox, however, had no objections to their unconventional behaviour as he saw their actions as ‘godly’ and he had little sympathy for the Catholic Richard Bowes’s predicament. Knox and Margery were married in Geneva equal before God, if not in law or his ‘deirlie belovit sister’ until she in 1555, which probably gave his custom. Knox always admired became his wife. Both Margery enemies less ammunition to accuse women who helped him with his Bowes and her mother Elizabeth were him of sexual impropriety. In truth, work, yet still knew their place in persuaded by Knox to leave the Knox liked having female helpers the patriarchal order. Furthermore, North East of England for Geneva. around him, whom he regarded as his notoriety for ferocious preaching This city had become a sanctuary for his spiritual equals. This was why he and harangues against Mary Queen English and Scottish Protestant exiles was prepared to sanction the journey of Scots present an unbalanced view respectively during the reign of of Elizabeth and Margery, and of Knox and women, for in reality Mary Tudor and the regency of Mary others, to Geneva to continue doing Knox was not a mysogynist. of Guise. Knox knew that he could God’s work. His correspondence with In his private life Knox would protect them there, but Elizabeth women was always affectionate and love two wives and father at least two Bowes’s decision to leave could not godly, but what their husbands had sons and three daughters. His first have been easy. She had consciously to say in return is unrecorded. Poor wife was Margery Bowes of the challenged patriarchal custom by Mr Bowes died in 1558 with his wife Yorkshire/Durham gentry family, leaving her Catholic husband still in Geneva and, significantly, he whom he met whilst exiled in Richard, a long-serving Anglo- made no mention of her in his will.3 England in the early 1550s. Knox Scottish Border officer, to be with Anne Lock was another famous first knew her mother, Elizabeth Knox’s ‘faithful’ in Geneva. Knox’s Knox ‘groupie’, who left her husband Bowes, as she had become strongly opponents accused Elizabeth of in London to be with him in Geneva. attached to the Protestant cause and being his mistress, but this was Knox’s letters to Anne have survived regarded Knox as her spiritual unlikely as Knox was nine years and they are always tender. She was mentor. Elizabeth offered the exiled younger than her and, as a always his dearest sister and, no Scot hospitality at her Alnwick home merchant’s son, her social inferior. matter how busy he was with when he was travelling between The only thing he may have been important matters such as starting preaching engagements in Berwick- tempted to do was hug her when the Scottish Reformation, he always upon-Tweed and Newcastle-upon- Tyne. Like many women caught up in the Reformation struggles, There had perhaps never been quite so many women Elizabeth was in spiritual confusion at this time and Knox helped her in charge at the same time in European history and it decide to take a Protestant path away from her Catholic family. It was, after was just too much for Knox to bear! all, a path he had taken himself when he abandoned the priesthood. When Elizabeth was distressed as they stood found time to answer her specific apart they corresponded in most ‘at the copbourd in Anwik’. questions about the Bible and its affectionate and godly terms, Richard Bowes, on the other interpretation. It was to Anne that Elizabeth Bowes was addressed firstly hand, would have been rightfully he poured his heart out when England as a ‘sister’, but after he became aggrieved that his wife of thirty years turned its back on him for unofficially engaged to Margery in had abandoned him and their other publication of the First Blast. January 1553, Knox called her his fourteen children to follow a Spiritually at least, Anne was the ‘deirlie belovit Mother’. Margery was Protestant preacher to a foreign city. woman who got closest to Knox’s 10 soul and he was happy to let her be from the new Queen Elizabeth I. She staunchly Protestant Andrew that close. He therefore appears to was dutifully trying to help her Stewart, Lord Ochiltree. Knox have been able to relate to women’s husband out of the hole he had dug certainly recognised and admired spiritual needs, perhaps more than for himself. She returned to Scotland godly women, but Margaret was a that of his male followers. Writing with Knox in 1559 and he must have mere sixteen years of age when she from Geneva during 1556 Knox been devastated when Margery died married the fifty-eight-year-old freely admitted to Anne that he had in Edinburgh during the autumn of minister! A wife who was forty-two a ‘thrist and langoure... for your 1560. Her mother remained in years the junior of her husband would presence.’ His next letter asked her contact with Knox and his family. raise eyebrows today, but ‘to gyd and conduct your self to this Elizabeth even came to Edinburgh considering that life expectancy was place’ despite her husband’s to look after him and her only around forty years of age in the opposition and the fact that Knox was grandchildren and may have stayed sixteenth century this was a recently married himself.