ABSTRACT
There is no certainty that Early Modern posthumous representations of good female deaths are any more realistic than those of women who died badly. The most obvious cause for a posthumous account of a woman to be written was at the desire of family and friends. Although The Life and Death of Mrs Margaret Andrews can be seen to have a variety of motives bringing it into production, the primary aim remains the same: to memorialize and sanctify the subject, and to inspire others by her example. Works such as this would combine with accounts of women dying well in childbirth in order to encourage women in their vital role within Early Modern society as producers of heirs and nurturers of children. The usefulness of posthumous representations of the good deaths of gentlewomen could extend beyond the upholding of the good name of a family.
