Queer Places:
St Andrew's Church, Packman Ln, Kirk Ella, Hull HU10 7TL, United Kingdom
Janet Elizabeth Case (1863 – July 15, 1937) was a prominent British classical scholar, dedicated teacher of ancient Greek, and a passionate advocate for women's rights. She is
perhaps best known today as the Greek tutor who significantly influenced the intellectual development of Virginia Woolf.
Born in Hampstead, London, in 1863, to to William Arthur Case and Sarah Wolridge Stansfeld, Janet Case was the youngest of six daughters. She received a strong education at the co-educational school Heath Brow in Hampstead before attending Girton College, Cambridge, from 1881 to 1885. At a time when women were denied full university degrees, she achieved a first in Part II of the classical tripos.
Case was a pioneer for women in the arts at Cambridge. In 1883, she performed as Electra in a college production of a Greek play, and in 1885, she played Athena in Aeschylus' Eumenides, becoming the first woman to perform in the annual Cambridge Greek Play—a role that made her a trailblazer in a field previously reserved for men.
Following her studies, Case taught classics at Maida Vale High School and provided private tutoring. She famously tutored Virginia Woolf in Greek from 1902 to 1907.
Case’s influence extended beyond the classroom. Her scholarly approach to Greek drama, including her translation of Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound (1905), provided Woolf with a conceptual and structural model for her own literary experiments, such as The Waves.
Their professional relationship evolved into a lifelong, close friendship. Woolf admired Case’s intellectual rigor and integrity.
Janet Elizabeth Case classical scholar. Source: www.firstwomenatoxford.ox.ac.uk
When Case passed away from cancer in 1937, Virginia Woolf wrote her obituary for The Times, honoring her as "a noble Athena" and celebrating her role in breaking down barriers for women.
Case was deeply committed to social reform, largely influenced by her friend and classmate Margaret Llewelyn Davies, who was the general secretary of the Co-operative Women's Guild.
Case advised the Guild on divorce law reform, advocating for the appointment of female assessors in divorce courts. She also actively encouraged Woolf to participate in the women's rights movement.
From 1925 until her death, she wrote a weekly "Country Diary" column for the Manchester Guardian, which was later compiled into a collection published in 1939.
Janet Case left a lasting legacy as a scholar who bridged the gap between the ancient world and the modern era, acting as a vital intellectual guide for one of the 20th century's most significant writers.
References:
 Sapphic Modernities: Sexuality, Women and National Culture by Laura Doan and Jane Garrity |
Other references:
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