Single Puritan Girls in Tudor England

It was reportedly H.L. Mencken who defined a Puritan as a person who was “haunted by the fear that someone, somewhere might be happy.” But if the 17th century Puritan Simonds D’Ewes was any example, Shakespeare might have been closer to the truth in his comedy about The Merry Wives of Windsor. UCSB History Prof. J. Sears McGee will sort through the complicated—and sometimes hilarious—negotiations Sir Simonds undertook in his serial marriages to two teenaged Puritan heiresses. His talk will be based on some 70 volumes of Sir Simonds’ personal papers in the British Library that have never been published, including more than 1400 letters to and from a wide range of correspondents in England and abroad.
About Our Speaker
A senior member of the History faculty and one of its most popular lecturers, Prof. McGee specializes in the history of early modern Britain. His talk will be based on his forthcoming book, “An Industrious Mind”: the Worlds of Sir Simonds D’Ewes, being published by Stanford University Press.

The event will begin with light refreshments at 5:30 p.m. In gratitude for your loyalty and support, the History Associates Board is sponsoring this as a free event, but reservations are recommended because of limited seating.
You can make a reservation online by writing drake@history.ucsb.edu,
or phone (805) 893-4388

hm 10/4/14, 10/10