This article explores the historical context, life, spiritual significance, and legacy of Margery Kempe, a woman who dared to speak with divine authority in a world that often silenced female voices.
Historical Context: England in the Late Middle Ages
Margery Kempe lived in a dynamic yet turbulent era. Born around 1373 in the port town of King’s Lynn, Norfolk, she witnessed the aftermath of the Black Death, the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, and the intensifying struggles between the Church and lay movements such as Lollardy. It was also a time of deep religious devotion, marked by growing interest in personal piety, mysticism, and pilgrimage.
The Church still maintained great power, but women had limited agency within religious institutions. Nevertheless, a tradition of female mystics and visionaries—such as Julian of Norwich, Hildegard of Bingen, and Bridget of Sweden—provided a spiritual framework that Margery would follow and reshape in her own unique way.
Early Life and Marriage
Margery was born into a prosperous merchant family. Her father, John Brunham, served five times as mayor of Lynn and was a respected figure. Around the age of twenty, she married John Kempe, a fellow merchant, and bore at least fourteen children—although many likely died in infancy, a common tragedy in medieval times.
After the birth of her first child, Margery suffered what modern readers might interpret as a form of postnatal psychosis. She described visions of demons tormenting her, suicidal thoughts, and a near-total breakdown. From this harrowing experience, however, came her first religious awakening—a vision of Christ that began her lifelong spiritual journey. shutdown123