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The Pioneering Life of Mary Wortley Montagu: Scientist and Feminist
The first biography to look at the early feminist and radical Mary Wortley Montagu, who successfully introduced Britain to the inoculation against the smallpox virus.
300 years ago, in April 1721, a smallpox epidemic was raging in England. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu knew that she could save her 3-year-old daughter using the process of inoculation. She had witnessed this at first hand in Turkey, while she was living there as the wife of the British ambassador. She also knew that by inoculating - making her daughter the first person protected in the West - she would face opposition from doctors, politicians and clerics. Her courageous action eventually led to the eradication of smallpox and the prevention of millions of deaths.
But Mary was more than a scientific campaigner. She mixed with the greatest politicians, writers, artists and thinkers of her day. She was also an important early feminist, writing powerfully and provocatively about the position of women.
She was best friends with the poet Alexander Pope. They collaborated on a series of poems, which made her into a household name, an ‘It Girl.' But their friendship turned sour and he used his pen to vilify her publicly.
Aristocratic by birth, Mary chose to elope with Edward Wortley Montagu, whom she knew she did not love, so as to avoid being forced into marrying someone else. In middle age, her marriage stale, she fell for someone young enough to be her son - and, unknown to her, bisexual. She set off on a new life with him abroad. When this relationship failed, she stayed on in Europe, narrowly escaping the coercive control of an Italian con man.
After twenty-two years abroad, she returned home to London to die. The son-in-law she had dismissed as a young man had meanwhile become Prime Minister.
300 years ago, in April 1721, a smallpox epidemic was raging in England. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu knew that she could save her 3-year-old daughter using the process of inoculation. She had witnessed this at first hand in Turkey, while she was living there as the wife of the British ambassador. She also knew that by inoculating - making her daughter the first person protected in the West - she would face opposition from doctors, politicians and clerics. Her courageous action eventually led to the eradication of smallpox and the prevention of millions of deaths.
But Mary was more than a scientific campaigner. She mixed with the greatest politicians, writers, artists and thinkers of her day. She was also an important early feminist, writing powerfully and provocatively about the position of women.
She was best friends with the poet Alexander Pope. They collaborated on a series of poems, which made her into a household name, an ‘It Girl.' But their friendship turned sour and he used his pen to vilify her publicly.
Aristocratic by birth, Mary chose to elope with Edward Wortley Montagu, whom she knew she did not love, so as to avoid being forced into marrying someone else. In middle age, her marriage stale, she fell for someone young enough to be her son - and, unknown to her, bisexual. She set off on a new life with him abroad. When this relationship failed, she stayed on in Europe, narrowly escaping the coercive control of an Italian con man.
After twenty-two years abroad, she returned home to London to die. The son-in-law she had dismissed as a young man had meanwhile become Prime Minister.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published May 26, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 16, 2021
This book tells the fascinating story of the life of Mary Wortley Monatgu. Born in 1689 to an Aristocratic family, a time when women of rank were not allowed to choose their own husbands, she chose to elope with Edwards Wortley Monatgu, who she didn't love, but purely because she preferred him to the man her father wanted her to marry. She lived in Turkey for some time, where had her young son inoculated against smallpox, and when she returned to the UK she also had her daughter inoculated, this was the first smallpox vaccination to take place in the UK. This pioneering act paved the way for the eradication of smallpox.
She was an early campaigner for mental health, when her sister Mar suffered with her mental health in the late 1720's. She was also an early feminist, writing about women's rights, and for men to treat their wives decently and with respect.
We owe a lot in this day and age to Mary Wortley Montagu, she really was a pioneering lady, who had very modern ideas for the time in which she lived. This really is a must read for anyone interested in the history of Women, and social history.
She was an early campaigner for mental health, when her sister Mar suffered with her mental health in the late 1720's. She was also an early feminist, writing about women's rights, and for men to treat their wives decently and with respect.
We owe a lot in this day and age to Mary Wortley Montagu, she really was a pioneering lady, who had very modern ideas for the time in which she lived. This really is a must read for anyone interested in the history of Women, and social history.
January 31, 2021
I can't say that I knew much about Mary Wortley Montagu before picking up this book, so I was attracted partly by the overall title and feel like I didn't really get what I was promised. As a biography, the author has clearly done her research, to pull together the life of a woman who was clearly an outstanding writer in her time and a notable figure in literary circles.
However, to classify her either as a scientist or a feminist is stretching matters a bit - there's more argument to be had over the latter, since she clearly did have some feminist ideas and wrote about them frequently. Beyond that, she certainly was a strong advocate for the rights of one of her sisters, standing up for her against all-comers when her sister's mental health was at its most precarious, but again this is very much centred on her own family.
The 'scientist' label? I'm not so convinced. What she did do was introduce an idea into the UK that was already well-known in Turkey, after accompanying her husband there when he was made ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Was she an advocate for this apparently radical idea to prevent the smallpox epidemics that had ravaged Europe? Certainly. Does this allow us to call her a scientist? I'm still not convinced.
Anyway, if you're looking for a well-researched biography of a woman of letters, contemporary of Alexander Pope and Henry Fielding, this is the book for you. If you're looking to discover something else about the woman in question, as I hoped to do, this is possibly not going to leave you as satisfied.
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
However, to classify her either as a scientist or a feminist is stretching matters a bit - there's more argument to be had over the latter, since she clearly did have some feminist ideas and wrote about them frequently. Beyond that, she certainly was a strong advocate for the rights of one of her sisters, standing up for her against all-comers when her sister's mental health was at its most precarious, but again this is very much centred on her own family.
The 'scientist' label? I'm not so convinced. What she did do was introduce an idea into the UK that was already well-known in Turkey, after accompanying her husband there when he was made ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Was she an advocate for this apparently radical idea to prevent the smallpox epidemics that had ravaged Europe? Certainly. Does this allow us to call her a scientist? I'm still not convinced.
Anyway, if you're looking for a well-researched biography of a woman of letters, contemporary of Alexander Pope and Henry Fielding, this is the book for you. If you're looking to discover something else about the woman in question, as I hoped to do, this is possibly not going to leave you as satisfied.
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
September 11, 2021
The story of Mary Wortley Montagu is indeed worthy of a recap, and particularly so in the times we live in. I have seen her name mentioned fleetingly in the books about the Georgian kings, as well as Georgian make-up.
📖
We don't often hear about women living their full lives back in the Georgian era. Mary's story definitely breaks the mould. Her determinate nature and sheer wilfulness made sure that her life was lived on her terms, as much as it was possible.
💃🏻
Unlike many other tales of great ladies of history, the story of this incredible woman takes us out of Great Britain.
🇬🇧
This chapter really reinforced my desire to travel again, as travels bring one not only new views to admire, but also an opportunity to glimpse a different viewpoint to one's own. And it was this hunt for adventure that led Mary to her legacy as the pioneer of vaccination.
💉
It is difficult to imagine today the world in which vaccines either don't exist and/or are frowned upon. There is a minority today which claims that administering inoculation (engraftment, variolation, etc.) is directly against the will of God.
🦠
However loud their voices are, they are still a minority. The system itself serves and protects those who are willing to protect themselves against an illness. This system has been thus for many years, with a great thanks to our lead heroine.
👒
I thoroughly enjoyed Jo Willett's latest book. Mary's story is told in an engaging, snappy way, which puts the reader firmly in the seat next to her on this adventure that was Mary's life: the good, the bad and the inoculated.
.
📖
We don't often hear about women living their full lives back in the Georgian era. Mary's story definitely breaks the mould. Her determinate nature and sheer wilfulness made sure that her life was lived on her terms, as much as it was possible.
💃🏻
Unlike many other tales of great ladies of history, the story of this incredible woman takes us out of Great Britain.
🇬🇧
This chapter really reinforced my desire to travel again, as travels bring one not only new views to admire, but also an opportunity to glimpse a different viewpoint to one's own. And it was this hunt for adventure that led Mary to her legacy as the pioneer of vaccination.
💉
It is difficult to imagine today the world in which vaccines either don't exist and/or are frowned upon. There is a minority today which claims that administering inoculation (engraftment, variolation, etc.) is directly against the will of God.
🦠
However loud their voices are, they are still a minority. The system itself serves and protects those who are willing to protect themselves against an illness. This system has been thus for many years, with a great thanks to our lead heroine.
👒
I thoroughly enjoyed Jo Willett's latest book. Mary's story is told in an engaging, snappy way, which puts the reader firmly in the seat next to her on this adventure that was Mary's life: the good, the bad and the inoculated.
.
February 10, 2021
What a fascinating person Mary Wortley Montagu was! Born in England in 1869 she was always unusual, clever, intellectual and independent. She is particularly known for her advancement of the smallpox inoculation (engrafting) but this book details so much more, too. She was an international traveler, author, women's rights advocate, mother and was associated with the likes of Voltaire, Alexander Pope and Henry Fielding, her cousin.
Mary did not marry for love...she did not marry her "paradise" but instead her "limbo". However, in her mind this enabled her to do whatever she liked. She and her husband spent much of their physical and emotional lives apart. When living in Turkey engrafting was successful and common and Mary was the first to inoculate her child in the West. Understandably, many did not trust it and this resulted in deaths. She would use every tiny drop from smallpox pus and scratch little cuts into skin and introduce the pus into the cuts. About five days later the person got ill but then felt much better and did not get smallpox again.
Mary may have been extremely privileged but her life was not easy. Her two children were basically estranged for years, her sister spent ages in a mental asylum and she had a few rocky relationships, especially with Alexander Pope which ended in disaster. She fell in love with a much younger Italian as well. Her heart swooned when she first saw Venice...I can relate to this as a frequent traveler to Italy. She spent time in France, too.
Nonfiction and History readers, do read this well-written and thoroughly-researched book on a remarkable woman, not always likeable but always interesting. The sheer amount of information is vast! I learned so much and am grateful for this new knowledge base.
My sincere thank you to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this stellar book!
Mary did not marry for love...she did not marry her "paradise" but instead her "limbo". However, in her mind this enabled her to do whatever she liked. She and her husband spent much of their physical and emotional lives apart. When living in Turkey engrafting was successful and common and Mary was the first to inoculate her child in the West. Understandably, many did not trust it and this resulted in deaths. She would use every tiny drop from smallpox pus and scratch little cuts into skin and introduce the pus into the cuts. About five days later the person got ill but then felt much better and did not get smallpox again.
Mary may have been extremely privileged but her life was not easy. Her two children were basically estranged for years, her sister spent ages in a mental asylum and she had a few rocky relationships, especially with Alexander Pope which ended in disaster. She fell in love with a much younger Italian as well. Her heart swooned when she first saw Venice...I can relate to this as a frequent traveler to Italy. She spent time in France, too.
Nonfiction and History readers, do read this well-written and thoroughly-researched book on a remarkable woman, not always likeable but always interesting. The sheer amount of information is vast! I learned so much and am grateful for this new knowledge base.
My sincere thank you to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this stellar book!
April 2, 2021
Fascinating read…
I had no idea who this person was before picking up this book but I’m so glad her story was told. So many different and fascinating aspects to this woman’s life. She was a mother and a wife. A crusader. A writer. A feminist. A pioneer in so many different ways, a feminist definitely. A lay scientist might be more accurate (in my opinion)…
She pushed and cajoled, so in many ways the diplomat that her husband was. She believed that smallpox was a disease that could be managed if not cured and devoted so much of her life to convincing those around her of the same. And all this in a time where women were still very much in the shadow of their male counterparts. She was of the aristocracy so she was given more leeway than perhaps others may be been given, but I admire her for the many envelopes she pushed. She used that status to her advantage as she mixed and mingled with the important figures of her time. She was not a perfect person and I appreciate the balance the author brought to her story. She wasn’t an unflawed mother or the ideal partner but led a life of truth to herself and her beliefs.
A great read and one that has me looking for more about (for me) this influential person…
*I happily reviewed this story
**Thank you to NetGalley
I had no idea who this person was before picking up this book but I’m so glad her story was told. So many different and fascinating aspects to this woman’s life. She was a mother and a wife. A crusader. A writer. A feminist. A pioneer in so many different ways, a feminist definitely. A lay scientist might be more accurate (in my opinion)…
She pushed and cajoled, so in many ways the diplomat that her husband was. She believed that smallpox was a disease that could be managed if not cured and devoted so much of her life to convincing those around her of the same. And all this in a time where women were still very much in the shadow of their male counterparts. She was of the aristocracy so she was given more leeway than perhaps others may be been given, but I admire her for the many envelopes she pushed. She used that status to her advantage as she mixed and mingled with the important figures of her time. She was not a perfect person and I appreciate the balance the author brought to her story. She wasn’t an unflawed mother or the ideal partner but led a life of truth to herself and her beliefs.
A great read and one that has me looking for more about (for me) this influential person…
*I happily reviewed this story
**Thank you to NetGalley
January 4, 2023
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu is my 7th great grandmother on my mother's side, and I used to live in Twickenham, very near to the site of Alexander Pope's house and grotto that is underneath Radnor House School. Obviously I had to read this book when I heard about it! The author Jo Willett took part in an interview about the book during Richmond Literature Festival in November 2021 which I went to, and that's how I discovered the book. The interview with Jo really gave a fascinating and lively insight into Lady Mary's life and what would be discovered inside the book.
The book did not disappoint! For the most part it's an easy and compelling read as Jo has done a brilliant job of weaving all the aspects of Lady Mary's life, from childhood to death, into the story. Mary led a very independent life for a woman at that time, travelling to Turkey with her husband and living there initially, only to return by herself to live in other parts of Europe later in life to escape her marriage. I won't go into any more details, but what she achieved was highly remarkable - let alone the fascinating insights into her personality and private life. Mary deserves to have an exhibition, a film or drama series or stage play!
The book did not disappoint! For the most part it's an easy and compelling read as Jo has done a brilliant job of weaving all the aspects of Lady Mary's life, from childhood to death, into the story. Mary led a very independent life for a woman at that time, travelling to Turkey with her husband and living there initially, only to return by herself to live in other parts of Europe later in life to escape her marriage. I won't go into any more details, but what she achieved was highly remarkable - let alone the fascinating insights into her personality and private life. Mary deserves to have an exhibition, a film or drama series or stage play!
July 8, 2023
Mary Wortley Montague was a remarkable woman and fully deserves to be better known. She is perhaps mainly remembered today for popularising smallpox inoculation, and her efforts saved untold numbers from this terrible disease. But she was much more than this, although to call her a feminist avant la letter is pushing it a bit. She numbered many friends and acquaintances amongst the great and the good, from politicians to writers and thinkers, although these friendships didn’t always turn out well for her, nor did her many romantic entanglements. Her friendship with Alexander Pope was fractious indeed and later turned very sour. Her marriage was distant, although in theory the couple stayed together, and she wasn’t close to either of her children. Her son in particular was a waste of space. Mary spent much of her adult life travelling around Europe, rarely settling in one place for long – a very restless soul. This is a competent cradle-to-grave biography, somewhat dry in its approach, but thorough and well-researched and a fitting tribute to an unusual, talented and very interesting woman.
May 9, 2021
I found this a bit too detailed and dry at times, but Mary was a fascinating figure whose achievements have been under-rated. She was open-minded about Turkey, an early feminist, and even lived in Europe on her own, as well as being a writer and mixing with other writers and intellectuals. Her main contribution to society was her introduction of inoculation against smallpox, a Turkish practice which she helped to start in England. She probably even told the Royal family about this. She faced heavy criticism about it from backward-looking doctors, as she knew she would.
Mary had rather a difficult life. Her husband was a 'cold fish' and she fell in love with a young man who she followed to Europe, but he wasn't keen. She managed to remain friends with him, however. She also had problems with her children, especially her son. This book finally does her justice.
I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Mary had rather a difficult life. Her husband was a 'cold fish' and she fell in love with a young man who she followed to Europe, but he wasn't keen. She managed to remain friends with him, however. She also had problems with her children, especially her son. This book finally does her justice.
I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
March 26, 2021
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I first remember learning about Mary Wortley Montagu in a university English course, although I only got a sampling of her work and didn’t think to go deeper into her impact. However, this book provides a great overview of her life and contributions, including the one I didn’t realize she was known for: introducing the smallpox vaccine to Europe. She had a colorful life, including a loveless marriage, a love affair with an Italian, and a writing career that led to her association with other writers of the day, like Alexander Pope. I feel like this serves as a fairly thorough starting point for someone who knows next to nothing like I did, but also will satisfy those who may know a bit more.
I first remember learning about Mary Wortley Montagu in a university English course, although I only got a sampling of her work and didn’t think to go deeper into her impact. However, this book provides a great overview of her life and contributions, including the one I didn’t realize she was known for: introducing the smallpox vaccine to Europe. She had a colorful life, including a loveless marriage, a love affair with an Italian, and a writing career that led to her association with other writers of the day, like Alexander Pope. I feel like this serves as a fairly thorough starting point for someone who knows next to nothing like I did, but also will satisfy those who may know a bit more.
November 21, 2021
The author is a TV drama producer, not a historian, and this reads more like a soap about the rich and privileged than a historical analysis of Lady Mary's achievments. Undoubtedly she was an intelligent women but the subtitle "Scientist and Feminist" over-eggs the pudding by a considerable degree. Her feminism seems to be based on teaching herself Latin and Greek, being friends with Mary Astell, and writing a few poems and letters about womens' position in society. The "Scientist" is even more spurious. In Turkey she watched the practise of innoculating against smallpox, had her son done there, and brought the method home to England, popularising it by having members of the medical establishment present when her daughter was innoculated, and then encouraging her friends to do so with their families.
Disappointing.
Disappointing.
December 12, 2024
A fascinating and unconventional life in the time she was born.
August 26, 2025
A fascinating character often overlooked by history and the modern world. Love knowing more about her
September 25, 2021
My brother knows the author and has kindly given me a hardback copy Spoiler alert Mary's maiden name was Pierrepont and she lived to about 72. Unfortunately Mary did something really unkind to the early Mrs Murray. Could it be that she was misguided as to what was helpful and what might cause resentment.
I read that Mary's carriage breaks down in the way to Venice in Brescia p 154 after visiting other places the same town comes back with more unfortunate events. I see Mary was systematically robbed of her possessions in what we now call Italy.
The feeling against Jacobites from the 45 Rebellion influenced British postings to Venice so Mary got linked by association.
Mary's son in law got a brief term as Prime Minister before retiring. Not all Mary's political moves were productive. Her science ended early in life although she did not seek a cure for her cancer.
I read that Mary's carriage breaks down in the way to Venice in Brescia p 154 after visiting other places the same town comes back with more unfortunate events. I see Mary was systematically robbed of her possessions in what we now call Italy.
The feeling against Jacobites from the 45 Rebellion influenced British postings to Venice so Mary got linked by association.
Mary's son in law got a brief term as Prime Minister before retiring. Not all Mary's political moves were productive. Her science ended early in life although she did not seek a cure for her cancer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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