Bentley, Catherine (fl. 1635)

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Bentley, Catherine (fl. 1635)

English-Flemish nun who translated and had published a life of St. Clare of Assisi. Name variations: Sister Magdalene Augustine. Flourished around 1635; daughter of English parents; never married; no children.

Little is known about Catherine Bentley's life. Born of English parents, she entered the order of Poor Clares in Douai (Flanders) and took the name Sister Magdalene Augustine. The Poor Clares (known as Minoresses in England) was an ascetic order of women dedicated, as its name suggests, to poverty, simplicity, and charity. Bentley was well educated by the nuns of her order and showed an aptitude for languages which led her to complete several translations of devotional works. Among these were a life of St. Clare of Assisi , founder of the Poor Clares, which was published in 1635 and dedicated to the English queen Henrietta Maria .

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