Lyttelton, Elizabeth

Elizabeth Lyttelton (c. 1646-1736), though best known as the daughter of Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682), merits scholarly attention in her own right. Her manuscript miscellany (Cambridge University Library MS Add. 8460) demonstrates an extended and ongoing engagement with the literary cultures of the seventeenth century, and places Lyttelton within literary networks around Norwich. Her role in supporting the literary achievements of her father and her brother, Edward Browne (1644-1708), was wide-reaching. Lyttelton proves a dynamic case study for how women in the early modern period used writing and art to engage with their environments and how, even when hidden, minor figures could play a vital role in literary production.