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Term Foundation

Term Foundation

The term “bluestocking” is credited to Elizabeth Vesey, one of the hostesses responsible for developing the guest list for some gatherings. She invited Benjamin Stillingfleet, an intellectual and scientist, to attend one of her salon meetings in the late 1750s. Benjamin declined the invitation, citing his lack of formal dress, which included black stockings. Elizabeth insisted that Benjamin attend regardless. According to the story, Benjamin came to the meeting wearing informal attire – most notably blue stockings.

From that point on, the other members of the group referred to Benjamin as the “bluestocking”, and joked that they could not carry on without him present. Bluestocking quickly evolved as the group’s identifying term: in 1756, Elizabeth Montagu first used the term in a letter to describe the members of the salon meetings.

Over time, the members of the Bluestocking circle were identified as men and women of wit, knowledge and advanced opinions who attended social meetings designed to exchange intellectual information and cultural knowledge. “To wear your blues” became a metaphor for an evening of conversation. Bluestocking women were defined positively as intellectual and learned – but they were also constantly subject to questions about their sexuality, the depth of their learning, their lack of social adherence and their seeming “obsession” with other women. They also specifically worked to violate the taboo against female education by holding literary evenings frequented by other independent-minded women, in imitation of the established salons of Paris.