Catherina Boevey
In The New Atalantis of 1709 by Delarivier Manley[11] she is called Portia, in comparison to the Roman lady who lived 95–45 BC commended for her virtue in a funeral oration by Cicero.
Catherine's personal qualities were praised by her contemporaries, Sir Richard Steele included, and her wit and urbanity were noted by Ballard who referred to her as having "great genius and good judgement", derived from her reading.
[12] In 1684 aged 15 she was married to 17-year-old William Boevey (1667–1692), who in the previous year 1683 had inherited Flaxley Abbey, Gloucestershire, from his first cousin Abraham II Clark (1622–1683)[13] who had died without surviving issue.
In 1692, when Mrs. Boevey was only twenty-two, her husband died, leaving her mistress of his estate of Flaxley[15] and as she was also the sole heiress of her wealthy father,[16] she at once became the centre of a crowd of wooers; Mrs. Bovey would listen to none.
"Do not believe that I have many such as Portia to speak of," wrote the author of The New Atlantis (p. 212); and the repute of her happy ways and generous deeds had not died out in 1807, when Fosbroke in his "History of Gloucestershire"[20] described her as "a very learned, most exemplary, and excellent woman".
The text was transcribed by Ralph Bigland in his "Historical, Monumental, and Genealogical Collections relative to the County of Gloucester" (1786–1794):[22] "To the Memory of Mrs. CATHARINA BOVEY, whose Person and Understanding would have become the highest Rank in Female Life, whose Vivacity would have recommended her in the best Conversation; but by Judgement, as well as Inclination, she chose such a Retirement as gave her great Opportunities in Reading and Reflection, which she made Use of to the wisest Purposes of Improvement in Knowledge and Religion.
Matters she made the Holy Scriptures, in which she was well skilled, the Rule and Guide of her Faith and Actions, esteeming it more fate to rely upon the plain Word of God, than to run into any Freedoms of Thought upon revealed Truths, the great Share of Time allowed to the Closet was not perceived in her Economy; for she had always a well ordered and well instructed Family, from the happy Influence, as well of her Temper and Conduct, as of her uniform and exemplary Christian Life.
Her domestic expenses were managed with a Decency and Dignity suitable to her Fortune; but with a Frugality that made her Income abound to all proper Objects of Charity, to the Relief of the Necessitous, and Encouragement of the Industrious, and the Instruction of the Ignorant.
She distributed not only with Cheerfulness, but with Joy, which, upon some occasions of raising and refreshing the Spirit of the Afflicted, she could not refrain from breaking forth into Tears, flowing from a Heart thoroughly affected with Compassion and Benevolence.
She entertained her Friends and Neighbours with a most agreeable Hospitality; but always took Care to have a large Reserve for Charity, which she bestowed, not only on such Occasions as offered, but studied how to employ it so as to make it useful and advantageous.
Her Disposition to do good was so well known in the District about her, that she easily became acquainted with the Circumstances of those that wanted; and, as she preserved many Families from Ruin, by seasonable Loans or Gifts, so she conveyed her Assistance to some of better Rank, in such a Manner as made it doubly acceptable.
How far her Bounty extended was known to herself alone; but much of it appeared, to her Honour and God`s Glory, in frequent Distributions to the Poor, and especially to the Charity Schools Round about the Country, in relieving those in Prison, and delivering many out of it, in contributing to the Churches of the English Establishment abroad, as well as aiding several at home, in cloathing and feeding her indigent Neighbours, and teaching their Children, some of whom every Sunday, by Turns, she entertained at her House, and condescended to examine them herself; besides this continual, it might be said this daily, Course of Liberality during her Life.
She bequeathed at her Death, towards founding a College in the Island of Bermudas £500; to the Grey Coat Hospital, in St. Margaret`s, Westminster, £500; to the Blue Coat Hospital in Westminster, £500; to the Charity School of Christ Church, Parish of Southwark, £400; to augment the Living of this Place, £1200; to put out poor Children Apprentices, the Interest of £400 for ever; of which Summe £160 had been left by Mr. CLARKE and Mr. BOVEY; to be distributed, as her Executrix should think fit, among those whom she had put out Apprentices in her Life-time £400; lastly, she designed the re-building of this Chapel, which pious Design of hers was speedily
