England: Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham

Born in England in 1632, Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham is considered one of the first women architects in England and the United Kingdom. This notion is debated by historians due to the socio-political climate in which she lived and a need for significantly more physical evidence associating her with architectural designs. Women were prevented from establishing architectural careers; however, she demonstrated an interest and understanding of architecture in her lifetime. Lady Wilbraham was known as a patroness of architecture. While she was not permitted to receive a formal education in architecture, it has been theorized that she had an informal education. Lady Wilbraham extended her European honeymoon in the Netherlands and Italy to study architecture (c. 1651), and she partnered with male architects who theoretically constructed and received recognition for her architectural designs. Historians theorized that Lady Wilbraham designed approximately 400 buildings, including some of the properties that belonged to her family. Lady Wilbraham died in 1705.