London printer-author Elinor (Banckes) James was one of the most prolific and politically active women writers of the later Stuart period. Between 1681 and 1716 she wrote, printed, and distributed more than ninety broadsides and pamphlets addressing political, religious, and commercial concerns. A self-educated tradeswoman with a printing press in her home, her works provide a running commentary on the major national political events of a tumultuous period: she routinely printed her opinions on events such as the Exclusion Crisis, the Revolution of 1688, the Union of England and Scotland, or the Jacobite rebellions of 1715. During her lifetime, England saw the succession of six different monarchs. James petitioned all of them, and she claimed to have obtained audiences with three.…
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Citation: McDowell, Paula. "Elinor James". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 June 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5638, accessed 24 April 2024.]
