31 Facts About Elizabeth Carter

Elizabeth Carter was an English poet, classicist, writer, translator, and linguist.

Elizabeth Carter published poems and translated from French and Italian, and corresponded profusely.

Elizabeth Carter befriended Samuel Johnson, editing some editions of his periodical The Rambler.

Nicolas Elizabeth Carter himself undertook the labour of educating his numerous children in the Latin and Greek languages.

Elizabeth Carter later applied herself to Italian, Spanish, German and Portuguese, and very late in life, learnt enough Arabic to read it without a dictionary.

Elizabeth Carter carefully studied astronomy and the geography of ancient history.

Elizabeth Carter learnt to play the spinnet and the German flute and was fond of dancing in her youth.

Elizabeth Carter drew tolerably well, was acquainted with household economy, loved gardening and growing flowers, and occupied her leisure or social hours with needlework.

Elizabeth Carter Robinson, born in 1720, was the eldest daughter of Matthew Robinson, 2nd Baron Rokeby, who had married the heiress of the Drakes of Horton, near Hythe.

Elizabeth Carter spent much of her childhood there and was early attracted by sympathy of feeling and similarity of pursuits to a contemporary neighbour, Elizabeth Carter.

In 1742, Robinson married Edward Montagu, grandson of the second Earl Of Sandwich; subsequently Elizabeth Carter often visited her at her country seat at Sandleford and her house in London.

Elizabeth Carter was then Bishop of Oxford and became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1758.

Elizabeth Carter's father was friendly with Edward Cave, a publisher, in whose fourth volume of The Gentleman's Magazine she published several pieces under the pseudonym Eliza, when she was only 16 years old.

Elizabeth Carter rendered into English De Crousaz's Examen de l'essai de Monsieur Pope sur l'homme and Algarotti's Newtonianismo per le dame.

Elizabeth Carter befriended Samuel Johnson, editing some issues of The Rambler in the 1750s.

Elizabeth Carter's poems demonstrated regularity of numbers and a well-graduated succession of thoughts.

Elizabeth Carter's letters were noted for correct, perspicuous and appropriate language, soundness of judgment, moderation of spirit, deep sincerity and pervading piety.

Elizabeth Carter's cheerfulness was clear from her sentiments and opinions and in occasional expressions of buoyant gaiety, in which there was always something awkward, forced, and exaggerated.

Elizabeth Carter was influenced by Hester Chapone and wrote apologia of the Christian faith, asserting the authority of the Bible over human matters.

At the suggestion of William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, who took delight in her conversation and writings, Elizabeth Carter published another volume of poems in 1762, to which George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton contributed a poetical introduction.

Elizabeth Carter appeared in the engraved and painted versions of Richard Samuel's The Nine Living Muses of Great Britain, but the figures were so idealised that she complained she could not identify herself or anyone else in the work.

Elizabeth Carter's difficulties were all confined to her books of private study; she met with no discouragements from the outer world.

Elizabeth Carter's translations were approved and her verses applauded by Burke, Dr Johnson, Savage, and Baratier, and she found herself courted by many members of learned society.

Elizabeth Carter was repeatedly honoured at Deal with visits from various members of the royal family.

Elizabeth Carter's father having lost his second wife, and his other children being settled in homes of their own, Carter bought a house at Deal in 1762.

Elizabeth Carter's father rented part of it, while she managed the household.

In 1775, Edward Montagu died and his wife Elizabeth Carter inherited a large property.

Elizabeth Carter belonged to the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade, known as the Abolition Society or Anti-Slavery Society.

In 1796, Elizabeth Carter had a dangerous illness, from which she never thoroughly recovered.

Elizabeth Carter continued to exert herself in visiting the poor and in establishing and maintaining charitable institutions.

On 19 February 1806, after a long period of increasing weakness, Elizabeth Carter died at her lodgings in Clarges Street, London.