Editing Elizabeth Carter (section)

==Early life and education==
Born in [[Deal, Kent]], on 16 December 1717, Elizabeth Carter was the eldest child of Rev. Nicolas Carter, [[perpetual curate]] of Deal,{{sfn |Williams |1861 |p=207}} and his first wife, Margaret (died c. 1728), who was the only daughter and heir of John Swayne of [[Bere Regis]], [[Dorset]]. She died when Elizabeth was ten.<ref name="18th C">18th C – People & Places [http://c18-ref.blogspot.hu/2009/01/elizabeth-carter-1717-1806.html Retrieved 13 July 2016.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826025137/http://c18-ref.blogspot.hu/2009/01/elizabeth-carter-1717-1806.html |date=26 August 2016}}</ref>{{sfn |Lonsdale |1990 |p=165-67}} Her redbrick family home still stands at the junction of South Street and Middle Street, close to the seafront.

Nicolas Carter himself undertook the labour of educating his numerous children in the Latin and Greek languages. His eldest daughter was so slow to understand her lessons that he almost despaired of ever making her a scholar, and would have given up but for her resolute perseverance as a child, in which she struggled incessantly against all obstacles. From an early age, her ambition was to be good and learned, and she steadfastly pursued that goal through life. She could never acquire grammar as a rudimentary theory, but having attained great proficiency in the Greek and Latin languages – being especially proficient in Greek{{sfn|Moulton|1910|p=491}} – she deduced the principles from the literature. Her father also taught her Hebrew.{{sfn |Uglow |1998 |p=26}} To assist her in acquiring French, her father sent her to board for a year with the family of M. Le Seur, a refugee minister in [[Canterbury]], where she learnt to understand it and speak it fluently. She later applied herself to Italian, Spanish, German and Portuguese, and very late in life, learnt enough Arabic to read it without a dictionary.{{sfn |Williams |1861 |p=207}}

Being naturally heavy, and resolved to stay awake as long as possible in pursuit of her studies, she had recourse to use [[Snuff (tobacco)|snuff]], and never broke herself of the habit. Over-application to her studies and lack of sleep brought on intense headaches, to which she remained subject through life. Her taste for literature came from the finest models available, and her refined manner and habits from an early introduction to high society.{{sfn |Williams |1861 |p=208}}

She carefully studied [[astronomy]] and the geography of ancient history. She learnt to play the [[spinnet]] and the [[German flute]] and was fond of dancing in her youth. She drew tolerably well, was acquainted with household economy, loved gardening and growing flowers, and occupied her leisure or social hours with [[needlework]].{{sfn |Williams |1861 |p=210}} In the hope of counteracting the bad effects of too much study, she habitually took long walks and attended social parties.{{sfn |Williams |1861 |p=210}}

===Friendships===
[[Elizabeth Montagu|Elizabeth Robinson]], born in 1720, was the eldest daughter of [[Matthew Robinson, 2nd Baron Rokeby]], who had married the heiress of the Drakes of [[Monks Horton|Horton]], near [[Folkestone & Hythe District|Hythe]]. She spent much of her childhood there and was early attracted by sympathy of feeling and similarity of pursuits to a contemporary neighbour, Elizabeth Carter. A close friendship formed, which lasted to the end of their long lives. In 1742, Robinson married [[Edward Montagu (1692–1776)|Edward Montagu]], grandson of the [[Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Sandwich|second Earl Of Sandwich]]; subsequently Carter often visited her at her country seat at [[Sandleford]] and her house in [[London]].{{sfn |Williams |1861 |p=209}}

In 1741 she became acquainted with [[Catherine Talbot]] and developed a close friendship, as they appreciated each other's faculties, virtues and piety. Through Talbot and her mother, she made contact with [[Thomas Secker]], with whom they resided. He was then [[Bishop of Oxford]] and became [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] in 1758.{{sfn |Williams |1861 |p=210}}