Elizabeth Foxcroft

Elizabeth Foxcroft (1600 – 1679) was an English theosophist. She was Anne Conway's companion and they were both interested in the views of the German philosopher Jakob Böhme. Her son, Ezekial, was a follower of the Cambridge Platonists. Life Foxcroft was born in Stoke upon Tern in 1600 in Shropshire where her parents Elizabeth (born Fox) and Christopher Whichcote lived at Whichcote Hall. Her younger brothers were Jeremy (later Sir Jeremy) and Benjamin Whichcote. Benjamin became the Provost of King's College, Cambridge. She married George Foxcroft who was later employed by the East India Company. She became involved with the Cambridge Platonists via Henry More who was one of their leaders and within the group she met the philosopher Anne Conway. When her husband left for India in 1666 she went to live at Ragley Hall with the Conways. The two of them were of similar interests and she became Coway's companion and amenuensis. Foxcroft is thought to be the reason that both of them became interested in the writings of Jakob Böhme.