Elizabeth Freke (1641–1714) was an English memoirist and poet, known for her diaries and remembrances, but also for a collection of recipes covering medicine and cooking.
Her mother, one of the eight daughters of Sir Thomas Colepeper of Hollingbourne, died when she was just seven years old, leaving her the eldest woman in the house of her four sisters (including Frances, later Lady Norton).
[4] At one point later in the marriage, Percy returned to Ireland and left Elizabeth with her son and scarcely any money.
In 1704, Percy came to live with Elizabeth in Norfolk, but due to illness, he died in her arms two years later.
She increasingly used her remaining resources for her involvement with the church of St Cecilia, spending personal time and money for its repair.
[5] As she grew more involved, she began to assert her dominance on the church, as she felt that she had gained the control from her financial contributions.
On 14 February 1713, Charles Trimnell, the Bishop of Norwich, instructed the vicar of Gayton to bar her from the church entirely.
[1] In reference to her death, Elizabeth Freke had initially wanted to be buried next to her husband in the vault she had supported.
With her knowledge of these precedented examples, she prepared some of her own remedies as she consulted with other physicians and medical practitioners of the time.
[3] These recipe books were passed down from family members and Elizabeth continued to add her own writings to them.