What type of education did girls recieve in England during the 1600's?

Question

I'm doing an essay for school about the Colonoy in Jamestown. The girl that I made up came from a semi-influential family that owned some buisness that was doing well, so they wwere known and rich compared to other people... I guess I'm still working it out. But what type of education would she have? Would she be tutored in maybe just English, how to write and read?

Answer 1

the girls of this period whether it be Jamestown or London, received an education that was passed down from mother to daughter or next maternal kin, on how to take care of house and home. (cooking, cleaning, children, etc.)

Answer 2

Education In The 1600s

Answer 3

Right now BBC Radio Channel 4 (www.bbc.co.uk) has a program on called The Invention of Childhood. They covered the 1600s last Monday or Tuesday. You can still listen to it.

Girls in the 1600s learned to read and write very basic stuff. Their education focused on womanly tasks necessary to running a household. Since your girl is from a semi-influential family, her reading and writing skills might be better, she probably has enough math skills to manage a household budget, and she undoubtably knows how to manage house servants. Her family might have employed a governess, but its likely that she shared the same tutor her brothers did until they were seven or eight. At that point, they would have gone to school and she would have started learning household management. That included sewing, by the way.

It was rare that a girl got any foreign language beyond French. Given the time period you've chosen, she probably didn't get that.
Twenty years after the founding of Jamestown, maybe.

Oh, Jamestown was earlier than the Quaker colonies by a few years and they did not have the same emphasis on education. Founded by young aristocrats and their followers.

Answer 4

Well to do girls from that social station would study with a private teacher (usually female), who would have several students. Or more rarely one on one private tutoring. All Quaker girls were encouraged to get an education whatever their economic circumstances. Many wealthy Quaker and often other (Dissenter") Protestant men would will substantial sums to found or support schools. The Quakers in England and in the colonies had schools scattered around the country. Many were also boarding schools. Reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic was taught. Also religion, Morals, (ethics), domestic arts and sewing were usually taught too. Sewing was very important until the 1830's when factory manufactured clothes became affordable. Most girls sewed samplers and many examples of this "school girl art" survive to this day. (including a charming one by Miles Standish's daughter, form the 1680's. Google "samplers" and check out the some of the many charming samplers that have become collector's items.
Doc. Dan.

Answer 5

I've been researching this for a play I am appearing in. Try the following links for some information.

http://www.elizabethi.org/us/women/

The Education of Upper Class Elizabethan Women
The Elizabethan period brought the Renaissance, new thinking to England. Elizabethan women from wealthy and noble families were sometimes allowed the privilege of an Education. The girls of Noble families were invariably taught by tutors at home and Elizabethan women were taught from the age of five, or even younger. Various languages were taught including Latin, Italian, Greek and French. Music and dancing skills were essential for Elizabethan women. Elizabethan women were not allowed to go to university but might be sent away to complete their education. As young as seven years old girls would be sent away from their home to live with another noble family. Elizabethan women would be taught a range of subjects and skills. Manners and etiquette were of prime importance, including how to curtsey. Music, dancing , riding and archery were also taught. These young girls were expected to act as servants to the Ladies of the castle - their duties would be to look after clothes and the assist ladies with dressing and coiffure. Some housewifely duties such as preserving fruits and household management would be also be learnt. High ranking young women would take on the role of ladies-in-waiting to the Queen.

Lower Class Elizabethan Women
Elizabethan Women from the lower classes were also expected to obey the male members of their families without question. Lower class Elizabethan women would not have attended school or received any formal type of education. Elizabethan women would have had to learn how to govern a household and become skilled in all housewifely duties. Their education would have been purely of the domestic nature in preparation for the only real career option for a girl - marriage! Single Elizabethan women were sometimes looked upon with suspicion. It was often the single women who were thought to be witches by their neighbours. All Elizabethan women would be expected to marry, and would be dependant on her male relatives throughout her life.

http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-women.htm

Answer 6

She will ( if she goes to finishing school) will be taught french, dancing, sewing but not math. This is not all but that is all I can remember for now. Finishing school is considered secondary education ( higher) and the family will have to pay money for it. Other wise they will attend the normal one room school house. She may be taught to read for literacy rate in the south was 50% on account of all the men who could sign names.

Answer 7

Obviously better than yours.
recieve ?
Colonoy ?
buisness ?
wwere ?

Answer 8

unless they were from a wealthy family who had the means to hire a governess or teacher...very little education if any at all

Answer 9

no education.