EnglishRose95
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2017
- Posts
- 178
Elspeth’s mother died of the sweating sickness when Elspeth was just four years old and was brought up by her physician father Joseph. An only child she struggled to understand her father’s world and sought to assist him as much as her gender would allow. Life for a professional woman in Tudor times was difficult but for a woman medic it was nearly impossible for she was in danger of being denounced as a witch.
By the time Elspeth was twenty two years old her father was well respected in Court and had even been mentioned by the King. In 1528 the affairs of court were taken over by the King’s obsession with Anne Boleyn and when the sweating fever hit Kent the King sent Joseph to Hever to ensure the Boleyn family did not fall victim to the disease. For the first two days Joseph did his duty but on the third day he fell from his horse and was unable to complete his task.
Elspeth had to step up to the plate and complete her father’s work by dressing as a man trying to disguise her femininity. She had a success rate of 100% during the next four days and believed she had escaped without detection. Or had she? If she were exposed she would be denounced for witchcraft and burnt at the stake alongside her father.
By the time Elspeth was twenty two years old her father was well respected in Court and had even been mentioned by the King. In 1528 the affairs of court were taken over by the King’s obsession with Anne Boleyn and when the sweating fever hit Kent the King sent Joseph to Hever to ensure the Boleyn family did not fall victim to the disease. For the first two days Joseph did his duty but on the third day he fell from his horse and was unable to complete his task.
Elspeth had to step up to the plate and complete her father’s work by dressing as a man trying to disguise her femininity. She had a success rate of 100% during the next four days and believed she had escaped without detection. Or had she? If she were exposed she would be denounced for witchcraft and burnt at the stake alongside her father.