Haunting Dreams of Women in Early Modern England

People in early modern England took their dreams seriously. While some believed they were the fragments of the day revisited or resulted in eating certain foods, others were convinced they were sent from demons or angels; however, the strongest belief --or sometimes fear -- was how dreams could predict future events, including the death of a loved one, parent, spouse, or child. But sometimes dreams could also allow one a visit with the dead. This paper examines a series early modern English dreams by and about women. Agnes Beaumont had had violent disagreements with her father over her religious choices. Her dreams about him after his death help her resolve her feelings. Alice Thornton and Margaret Russell both had dreams that foretold the death of their babies. Given how many children died, such dreams would not have been uncommon, but they clearly demonstrate what great the great fear mothers felt. Fear of a wife's death in childbirth probably influenced Gervase Holles's dream; tragically it came true soon after. Kenelm Digby, Elias Ashmole, and Bulstrode Whitelock each dreamed of their dead wives, but Digby's and Ashmole's caused distress, while Whitelock's brought peace. Several of these dreams were important to the family history and were carefully reported and repeated. These dreams demonstrate the intensity of feeling by and about women in their familiar relations, and allow us to know much more about the mentality of a previous age.