The Saber and Scroll Journal Volume 8, Number 3, Spring 2020 | Page 96

Tea Table Sisterhood and Rebel Dames: The C
again bring about a Stuart restoration
to the throne. 38 The support of the clan
system for the House of Stuart affected
men, women, and children alike. Although
women continued their support,
and had worked for the restoration
of the House of Stuart since 1688, by
1715, there was a heightened participation
of Scottish Noblewomen. Mar appreciated
the work women continued
to do in planning, spying, and gathering
support for the cause. Still, he also
became frustrated at times with pushy
bold women and their squabbles. 39
Life was not easy for the noblewoman
of the early eighteenth century, isolated
on family estates; letters were their
primary means of communication and
companionship. The state of Scotland
became divided by politics and religion.
Still, women overcame those differences
within the extended family or clan, by
building friendships so strong that they
named their children after each other.
Women of the eighteenth century
contended with the raising of children,
including childbirth and breastfeeding.
Furthermore, running an estate often
fell to the lady of the house, and chores,
such as sewing, candle making, checking
food stores, cleaning, laundry, and
accounts were time-consuming. Women
focused on strengthening their family’s
interests through marriages and
friendships. Even so, women found
time for personal interests, such as poetry,
music, and reading, all within the
realm of gender acceptance for women.
Personal letters provide an insight into
daily life and the expectations of women;
they also included their political
interests in the state of affairs. Politics
4