were not suggesting the ending of female propriety, and were themselves sus-picious of women who overstepped the mark. This suspicion, together with the praise lavished on women who were more properly influential from behind the scenes, meant that it was women who adhered to these boundaries and attempted to use their influence in legitimate ways who could achieve sig-nificant power and authority. The mid-eighteenth century, the first period of evangelical revival in Britain, saw certain women able to exercise an apparently unprecedented degree of authority in religious affairs, yet without overstepping the accepted boundaries of women’s influence. The most famous was Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, who founded her own religious connexion. Lady Betty Hastings was also known and respected for her practical support of ‘godly’ clergy and for her moral authority and example. Two Scottish peeresses, Lady Darcy Maxwell and Willielma, Viscountess Glenorchy, like Lady Huntingdon, built chapels for their own chosen clergy to preach in and expected to control these without the interference of the established church of which the build-ings were nominally a part.

DOI link for were not suggesting the ending of female propriety, and were themselves sus-picious of women who overstepped the mark. This suspicion, together with the praise lavished on women who were more properly influential from behind the scenes, meant that it was women who adhered to these boundaries and attempted to use their influence in legitimate ways who could achieve sig-nificant power and authority. The mid-eighteenth century, the first period of evangelical revival in Britain, saw certain women able to exercise an apparently unprecedented degree of authority in religious affairs, yet without overstepping the accepted boundaries of women’s influence. The most famous was Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, who founded her own religious connexion. Lady Betty Hastings was also known and respected for her practical support of ‘godly’ clergy and for her moral authority and example. Two Scottish peeresses, Lady Darcy Maxwell and Willielma, Viscountess Glenorchy, like Lady Huntingdon, built chapels for their own chosen clergy to preach in and expected to control these without the interference of the established church of which the build-ings were nominally a part.

were not suggesting the ending of female propriety, and were themselves sus-picious of women who overstepped the mark. This suspicion, together with the praise lavished on women who were more properly influential from behind the scenes, meant that it was women who adhered to these boundaries and attempted to use their influence in legitimate ways who could achieve sig-nificant power and authority. The mid-eighteenth century, the first period of evangelical revival in Britain, saw certain women able to exercise an apparently unprecedented degree of authority in religious affairs, yet without overstepping the accepted boundaries of women’s influence. The most famous was Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, who founded her own religious connexion. Lady Betty Hastings was also known and respected for her practical support of ‘godly’ clergy and for her moral authority and example. Two Scottish peeresses, Lady Darcy Maxwell and Willielma, Viscountess Glenorchy, like Lady Huntingdon, built chapels for their own chosen clergy to preach in and expected to control these without the interference of the established church of which the build-ings were nominally a part.