birth_date: 1373-12-08 00:00:00
avg_rating: 3.23
name: Margery Kempe
about: The following biography information provides basic facts and information about the life and history of Margery Kempe, a famous Medieval character:Nationality: EnglishLifespan: c1373 - c1438Time Reference: Lived during the reign of the English kings Edward III, Richard II and Henry IVDate of Birth: She was born Margery Brunham at King's Lynn, Norfolk (then called Bishop's Lynn) in approximately 1373Family connections : She was the daughter of John Brunham, a wealthy merchant in King's Lynn who was involved in local politics and achieved the position of mayor and Member of Parliament Education: Margery Kempe was unable to read or write but had people read to her. She dictated her memoirs which were transcribed as 'The Book of Margery Kempe'Ma The following biography information provides basic facts and information about the life and history of Margery Kempe, a famous Medieval character:Nationality: EnglishLifespan: c1373 - c1438Time Reference: Lived during the reign of the English kings Edward III, Richard II and Henry IVDate of Birth: She was born Margery Brunham at King's Lynn, Norfolk (then called Bishop's Lynn) in approximately 1373Family connections : She was the daughter of John Brunham, a wealthy merchant in King's Lynn who was involved in local politics and achieved the position of mayor and Member of Parliament Education: Margery Kempe was unable to read or write but had people read to her. She dictated her memoirs which were transcribed as 'The Book of Margery Kempe'Married: Margery Kempe married John Kempe at the age of twenty in 1393. Hence the assumption that she was born in 1373.Children: Margery and John Kempe produced 14 childrenWhen the "visions" of Margery Kempe began: She experienced her first Christian vision c1394 following the delivery of her first childWhat provoked the visions of Margery Kempe? She was suffering from a disturbed state of mind caused by any number of events including depression (post natal), feelings of guilt, an over-imaginative mind, a spiritual crisis and an unsympathetic confessorShe suffered the equivalent of a nervous breakdown. Her condition was so severe that she had to be constrained. It was punctuated by loud and unrestrained cryingShe then experienced a vision and emerged calm and 'came to her senses'Unclear of how she should respond to the visions she continued everyday life with her husband and produced many more children. This was seen as an impossible way of life for a "spiritual woman" and she was strongly criticised and even rebuked for attempting to live a life totally devoted to Christ but as a married womanIn 1403 she and her husband took vows of chastity before the Bishop of LincolnShe then took to wearing white - which brought more criticism as the normal color for a woman of her age and station would have been blackShe annoyed people further by her uncontrollable weeping and wailing at holy sites and during massMargery Kempe was accused of being a Lollard but cleared of this by the Archbishop of CanterburyShe undertook pilgrimages to sacred places in England including Canterbury, Norwich and YorkMargery Kempe was a contemporary of the Medieval anchoress, Julian of Norwich, who she visitedIn the autumn of 1414 she undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land via VeniceShe reached Jerusalem and visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and travelled on to BethlehemShe returned to England in May 1415Further pilgrimages took her to Rome, Germany, Norway and SpainIn 1433 she undertook a pilgrimage to DanzigMargery Kempe dictated the content of 'The Book of Margery Kempe' to men hired as scribes'The Book of Margery Kempe' was recopied by a travelling priestThe manuscript containing the 'The Book of Margery Kempe' was lost for many years and only rediscovered in 1934 by Miss Hope Emily Allen, although its existence and some of its contents were known from references and quotations in other medieval booksMiss Hope Emily Allen identified the manuscript copy of 'The Book of Margery Kempe' in the library of Colonel Butler-Bowdon of Pleasington Old Hall in Lancashire, EnglandDate of Death: The last known reference to Margery Kempe was at King's Lynn in 1438 although her exact date of death is unknownMargery KempeThe story and biography of Margery Kempe contains interesting information, facts &amp; the history about the life of this Medieval woman of historical importance. ...more
death_date: 1438-12-05 00:00:00