Elizabeth Montagu: who was she, and why the blue stockings?

Last Tuesday, I went to York for my weekly salsa dancing class, with 2.5 hours to kill beforehand. I decided to go for a wander, the kind with no fixed destination in mind. In true flâneur style, I dropped my phone in my bag, put one foot in front of the other, and took whichever street I liked the look of.
And that’s how I found out about Elizabeth Montagu.

Elizabeth Montagu, née Robinson, was born in 1718 to a wealthy and well-connected family in York. She grew up in the mansion that is Treasurer’s House (to the left) and, if I were to hazard a guess, she had a head start in life. As a kid, Elizabeth was described as having “uncommon sensibility and acuteness of understanding“. In other words, she was a clever lass.

She got married at age 24 to Edward Montagu, who was almost three decades her senior. He was filthy rich, so much so that Elizabeth apparently became the wealthiest woman in the country. I suppose her husband was the supportive type, because she started hosting gatherings at their homes, in London and Bath, to discuss intellectual matters. She’d invite women who took an interest in social, artistic and academic topics, and they’d chat about them over a cuppa. Bear in mind that the 18th century was a time when the female sex were supposed to keep their mouths shut about such affairs, so it was quite revolutionary. There were some men who didn’t mind, and even participated in their conversations, like politician Edmund Burke and writer Samuel Johnson. Johnson had even gone as far to say that Elizabeth “diffuses more knowledge than any woman I know, or indeed, almost any man.”. By 1750, the meetings had become more established, and they’d given themselves a name… the ‘Blue Stockings Society’.

There are a few stories about the origins of the name. It’s said that one of the gathering-goers, Mr Benjamin Stillingfleet, wore blue stockings to the evenings, which was considered informal back then (they’d be horrified seeing me going to the supermarket in my pyjamas!). Afterwards, ‘come in your blue stockings’ became their catchphrase. However, from what I’ve read, the term ‘bluestocking’ dates back further to describe any educated or intellectual person.

Over time, the movement started to be criticised by influential men in society, who probably felt threatened. A ‘bluestocking’ came to be known as an unfashionable, unattractive woman who disregarded the laws of female elegance. Some class act comedian, Thomas Rowlandson, created the caricature that you saw at the beginning of the post. This fuelled the negative connotations attached to Elizabeth Montagu and her associates. As a result, intelligence and wit became undesirable traits to possess as a woman.

Saying that, Elizabeth continued to have her say. Swansea University holds an archive of around 4,000 of her letters, in which she discusses politics, business, family affairs, literature, and society. Online, she is described as a literary critic, and a social reformer of the Enlightenment period.

It cannot be denied that Montagu was a privileged, upper-class, white woman. She was backed by money, and a lot of it. From a child, she didn’t have to concern herself with matters of survival. Elizabeth had a (large) roof over her head, food on the table, and (I imagine) many servants to wait on her, hand and foot. Due to this, she was able to explore her intellectual interests, and use her mind for extracurricular activities. Yet, I still appreciate that she went against the tide of her time, despite her advantageous social standing.

All in all, I enjoyed learning about the bluestocking society. It served as a reminder that you should pursue your interests, ESPECIALLY if your gender is underrepresented. It validated my desire to learn, and to continue contributing to conversations.

What do you think? Shall we revive the Blue Stocking Society?