1656-1710
Biography
An English poet and essayist, Lady Mary Chudleigh (1656-1710) educated herself at a time when women rarely had access to formal education. Part of a circle of women writers in Dryden, Chudleigh wrote extensively on feminist subjects. Though married herself and quite religious, she was critical of the ways in which marriage subjugated women. Her best-known work is The Ladies Defense.