Elizabeth Clinton, Countess of Lincoln

Elizabeth Clinton, Countess of Lincoln (c.1570–1638), formerly Elizabeth Knyvet(t), was an English noblewoman and writer who was Countess of Lincoln from 1616 until the death of her husband Thomas Clinton, 3rd Earl of Lincoln, in 1619, when she became Dowager Countess.

Elizabeth was the younger daughter and co-heiress of Sir Henry Knyvet, MP, and his first wife Elizabeth; her maternal grandfather was a merchant, Sir James Stumpe.[1] She married the future earl on 21 September 1584.[2] They had 18 children,[1] including:

• Theophilus Clinton, 4th Earl of Lincoln, 12th Baron Clinton (1599[3]–1667), married twice, first to the Hon. Bridget Fiennes, but had children only by his first wife.
• Henry Clinton (born 1595)
• Thomas Clinton (born 1596)
• Lady Arbella Clinton (1597-1630),[4] who married Isaac Johnson
• Lady Susan Clinton, who married Sergeant-Major-General John Humphrey; they emigrated to America and returned to England in 1641.
• Edward Clinton (born 1600)[5]
• Lady Frances Clinton, who married John Gorges, Lord Proprietor of the Province of Maine
• Ann Clinton - baptized 3 March 1602[6]
• Charles Clinton (born 1604)[7]
• Knyvett Clinton (born 1605)[8]
• John Clinton[2]
• Lady Dorcas Clinton (born 1614)[9]
• Lady Sara Clinton (born 1615)[10]

In 1622, Elizabeth produced The Countess of Lincoln's Nursery, an advisory pamphlet which was dedicated to her daughter-in-law, Bridget.[11] It drew on the dowager's own experience as a mother, and praised the young countess for deciding to breast-feed her own children, something Elizabeth had not done and much regretted.[12][13] The physician and author Thomas Lodge wrote a preface to the book, in which he praised the dowager countess's work for its conciseness and for tackling a hitherto little-addressed topic.[12]