author
active 1696-1707 Judith Drake
A sharp early feminist voice from late 17th-century England, remembered for a witty defense of women’s intellect and character. Though little is known for certain about her life, her work still stands out for its confidence, humor, and clear-eyed social criticism.
1 Audiobook
An essay in defence of the female sex In which are inserted the characters of a pedant, a squire, a beau, a vertuoso, a poetaster, a city-critick, &c. in a letter to a lady.
by active 1696-1707 Judith Drake, Mary Astell
About the author
Judith Drake was an English intellectual and author active around the turn of the 18th century. She is associated with a lively circle of writers and thinkers that included Mary Astell, Lady Mary Chudleigh, Elizabeth Thomas, Elizabeth Elstob, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and John Norris.
She is best known for An Essay in Defence of the Female Sex (1696), a spirited and satirical work arguing against common assumptions about women. The book is often linked to early feminist writing in English because it challenges male prejudice with wit as well as reason.
Some details of her life remain uncertain. Sources describe her as married to James Drake, a physician and Tory pamphleteer, and they agree that only a small amount of biographical information has survived. No suitable verified portrait image was found on the sources checked, so a profile image is not included.