ABSTRACT
The practical challenges of early modern travel, especially from an island nation, might lead us to assume that few women traversed the borders of England. The vivid array of experiences represented by the women in this category, however, belie that assumption. Many women traveled to and from England, sometimes for temporary visits and other times as permanent exiles. The predominant motivation for travel was to escape religious persecution: many Protestants fled to the continent during the Catholic reign of Mary I, and many Catholics left the country during Elizabeth I’s Protestant reign, but at various times religious exiles from Catholic Spain and France also came to England for sanctuary. Foreign affairs and international diplomacy also resulted in the frequent exchange of court officials between countries, and the wives and daughters of ambassadors often accompanied ambassadors or officials on prolonged appointments. Royal women in early modern England – most notably Catherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves, Anne of Denmark, and Elizabeth Stuart – also crossed the English borders, often attended by women from their countries of origin. Finally, many women traveled as part of the emerging projects of exploration and colonization. Travel was seldom undertaken as luxury or adventure, but was a matter of personal, political, and professional necessity and survival.
