A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Elstob, (Elizabeth)
ELSTOB, (ELIZABETH) famous for her Knowledge in the Saxon Language; born at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1683,
Very early in life discovered a great propensity to study. Her understanding appears to have been of that slow but steady progressive species, which often outstrips genius itself in the race of literature. Her mother dying when she was only eight years old, she was committed to the care of Dr. Charles Elstob, canon of Canterbury. She afterwards lived with her brother, who encouraged and assisted her in her Saxon studies; but, after his death, was obliged, for support, to keep a small day school at Evesham, with great advantage, doubtless, to her scholars, but with little emolument to herself. Some faint traces of her memory still remain among the inhabitants; and it is remembered that her weekly stipend with each pupil was, at first, only a groat.
What brought her to exercise this employment at Evesham is not, I believe, now known. After some years of laborious and obscure drudgery in it, she attracted the notice of Mr. George Ballard, of Campden, and several other persons of greater consideration; who raised for her, among themselves, an annuity of twenty pounds per annum. By degrees, her merit became known to the late duchess of Portland, who received her into her family, allowed her thirty pounds a year for instructing her children, and procured a small pension for her from queen Caroline. In this family she died, 1767, and was buried at St. Margaret's, Westminster. Her works published and unpublished are; A Translation of Madam Scudery's Essay on Glory. Translations of, and Notes on, a Saxon Homily on the Birth of St. Gregory, published by her brother; Rudiments of Grammar for the English–Saxon Tongue, 4 to. 1715. A M. S. Translation of all Ælfric's Homilies. An exact Transcript of the Sextus Roffensis; with some Saxon Hymns, from ancient M. S. belonging to Salisbury cathedral. A Saxon Homilorium was by her undertaken, on the encouragement of Dr. Hickes, to which were to be added, an English Translation, and various Readings. Five of these Homilies were afterwards printed, in folio, at Oxford. A Transcript of the Saxon M. S. of the Athanasian Creed, printed in Wotton's View of Hickes's Thesaurus, 1708; An Account of the Plan for rendering the River Avon navigable, which was long handed about in M. S. and lately given to the public by Dr. Nash, is said to be written by her, in the year 1737.
She is also reported to have left behind her a regular plan of Evesham abbey. Much merit is certainly due to this lady; the first female to whom the study of the Saxon language has offered a curious and laudable pursuit.