A Short History of the Bluestocking Society
A bluestocking actually refers to a “who” not a “what.” It’s an interesting term not heard too often these days (though my aim is to change that) and its origins date back to the mid-18th century in England. English aristocratic society during the mid-18th century stipulated that men and women separate after meals. This gave men the opportunity to converse over drinks on intellectual topics such as politics, business, the arts and sciences, and literature and poetry, and the women leisure to retire to the drawing room for card games, gossip, and embroidery.
Two high society women, Elizabeth Montagu and Elizabeth Vesey, decided to go against the grain and defy societal norms for what was deemed appropriate conduct for aristocratic females. They established high-minded gatherings that included both women and men where the focus of conversation was on intellectual and literary interests, rather than mindless banter. The founders and attendees of these gatherings became known informally as the Bluestocking Society, and in 1769, Horace Walpole declared them “the first public female club ever known.”[1]
According to Lydia Figes, Content Creator at Art UK,
The Bluestockings defined themselves by what they were not, standing against the debauched hedonism of eighteenth-century high society that encouraged excessive drinking, gambling, and idle tittle-tattle. They regarded themselves as virtuous proponents for the art of refined and intellectual conversation, usually over tea drinking.[2]
The women who hosted these social events were certainly ahead of their time. These gatherings, or salons, were an intellectual alternative to the standard female pastimes of the era and included guests such as writers, linguists, novelists, and philosophers.
The club was inclusive and informal, yet always respectful, inviting anyone who wished to engage and share in intellectual interests. These literary salons "enjoyed society in undress," meaning they adopted a casual come-as-you are custom. In 1783 Mary Hamilton, a courtier and diarist, described the bluestocking meetings as follows:
…one meets with a charming variety of society … the Learned, the witty, the old & young, the grave, gay, wise & unwise, the fine bred Man & the pert coxcomb; The elegant female, the chaste Matron, the severe prude, & the pert Miss, but be it remembered that you can run no risque in Mrs. Vesey’s parties of meeting with those who have no claim to respect.[3]
How the Bluestockings Got Their Name
The widely accepted source of the name "Bluestocking" comes from the blue-worsted stockings worn by a man known as Bishop Benjamin Stillingfleet. Stockings were part of men's dress in the 18th century, and blue wool stockings were considered informal. We can think of them as the equivalent of jeans today. Conversely, black silk stockings were the accepted style for formal gatherings, which typically only the wealthy could afford. Elizabeth Vesey had invited Stillingfleet to one of her literary gatherings but he had emphatically declined due to not having the appropriate evening attire. Vesey's reply to him was "Pho pho, don’t mind dress! Come in your blue stockings!”[4]
Bluestocking: A Pejorative Term or One of Admiration?
By the 19th century a bluestocking woman came to be derided as a figure of ridicule; a misogynist view borne of the perception that egalitarian learning was dangerous and that women were forgetting their place and getting above themselves. This sounds ridiculous to us today but was nevertheless the prevailing thought of the time. For years the term bluestocking has been a derogatory epithet, but is now endearingly regarded as a term for a literary or intellectual woman.
You may be familiar with the mail-order book company Bas Bleu, which appeals to people who love books and bookish things. I know I always look forward to their catalogue in the mail! You can request one here. The naming behind this company is the same idea - Bas Bleu is the French translation for bluestocking. "The Bluestockings enlarged boundaries of what women could think, write, and do. Modern-day bluestockings are avid readers, have a sense of humor, and are eternally curious."[5]
Which brings me to why I decided on Bluestocking as the sobriquet of my etiquette business. Think of Bluestocking Etiquette as "etiquette in undress" - a modern approach to etiquette without fluff or pretense for women with intellectual and literary interests who want to boost their confidence and become a part of a revolution for a more mannered society.
Further reading:
Bas Bleu. n.d. "What's a Bluestocking?" Bas Bleu Bluestocking Salon. https://blog.basbleu.com/about/whats-a-bluestocking/.
Blue Stockings Society. 2011. The Blue Stocking History. March 1. https://bluestockingssociety.wordpress.com/the-blue-stocking-history/.
Figes, Lydia. 2019. Who were the Bluestockings? April 26. Accessed April 7, 2021. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/who-were-the-bluestockings#.
Wills, Matthew. 2019. "The Bluestockings." JSTOR Daily. April 4. https://daily.jstor.org/the-bluestockings/.
Comments