Teaching Resource
How are Women Remembered?
In Aphra Behn’s time, it was mostly the rich and powerful who were given memorials when they died. This grave is in the East Cloister at Westminster Abbey. At the time of her death in 1689, the cloister operated as a graveyard for people wither associated in some way with the Abbey or who worked there. There are memorials to a plumber, a gardener, a surveyor, and to many residents of Westminster. Although this was before the time when writers and artists began to be buried or remembered at Poets’ Corner (link), there are memorials to many people Aphra Behn would have known – Anne Bracegirdle’s grave is a few plots away; Henry Purcell is buried in the North Choir Aisle, near the site of the organ he played; a tablet to her early patron Sir William Davenant is not far away. It is likely that it was Behn’s friend Dean Sprat who gave permission for her burial in the cloister.
At a time when most people went to church, a carved slab in the church floor would mean that friends and family would remember the person whose grave is there.
But, to inform strangers of who lies buried there, what information is given?
For Aphra Behn, we have the basics of her name and the dates of her birth and death. Very unusually, nothing is said about her family – parents or husband.
The other two lines on the grave are:
“Here lies a Proof that Wit can never be
Defence enough against Mortality”
It is said that Aphra Behn wrote these herself. What do these two lines tell us? From this evidence, how does she want to be remembered? There is nothing to describe the dead woman, no claims to virtue, no prayers. This ties in with how little is known of Aphra Behn’s connections – it seems very likely that this was what she wanted – in her lifetime she often dropped hints about her early life and her family; the hints did not always tie in together.It is said that Aphra Behn wrote these herself. What do these two lines tell us? From this evidence, how does she want to be remembered? There is nothing to describe the dead woman, no claims to virtue, no prayers. This ties in with how little is known of Aphra Behn’s connections – it seems very likely that this was what she wanted – in her lifetime she often dropped hints about her early life and her family; the hints did not always tie in together.
The account books listing the costs for funerals at this time do survive in the Westminster Abbey archive. The bill for Aphra Behn’s funeral tells us that this was of the simplest variety. There was no member of the clergy presiding, no music and no candles. More elaborate funerals could, and did, include all those things – for example, that of Mary Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, included everything from a vast supply of wax candles to the presence of the Dean.
Activity 1
Using your imagination and the evidence on this website, and that of Westminster Abbey (link) design a larger-scale memorial for Aphra Behn, including a figure. As we have seen, it is likely that Aphra Behn actively wished to make sure that posterity knew little about her upbringing and family – it is only recently that researchers have become fairly sure about her early story (link). What version of that story do you think she would want to see on a memorial and why?
Activity 2
The writer Virginia Woolf considered that all women should let flowers fall on Aphra Behn’s grave (link). Some of us were able to do just that (link to picture) , and a group from a London school attached messages to the flowers they placed on her grave. If you could ask Aphra Behn a question, what would it be and why?
Activity 3
The writer Virginia Woolf considered that all women should let flowers fall on Aphra Behn’s grave (link). Some of us were able to do just that (link to picture) , and a group from a London school attached messages to the flowers they placed on her grave. If you could ask Aphra Behn a question, what would it be and why?
Clio’s Company (registered charity no. 1101853) is grateful for generous financial support for this project from The Portal Trust
