Clinton, Elizabeth, Countess of Lincoln

Abstract

Elizabeth Clinton (née Knevitt, also Knyvett), Countess of Lincoln (c. 1574-c. 1630), was the first woman to publish a tract advocating maternal breastfeeding. The Countesse of Lincolnes Nurserie (1622) was dedicated to Clinton's daughter-in-law, Bridget Fiennes Clinton, who had chosen to nurse her own children rather than employing a wet nurse, as was usual for early modern elites (Fildes 1986). Clinton's work was unique in its direct address to other women and its suggestion that women should choose maternal nursing despite their husbands' wishes. Arguing that nursing one's own child is both natural and godly, Clinton presents Bridget as an exemplar for all women and establishes herself and her daughter-in-law as authorities whose advice and practices are blessed by God.