English History

You are asking about ladies of England not America is that right? If you are here is a good link:

http://www.fashion-era.com/hair_hats_187099.htm

That shows that ladies were still covering their heads in England in the lates 1800's.

Wise way to start this discussion.

Also shown here are real pictures of ladies in the 1800's in England. Most of the ladies shown had covered heads.

http://fashion-era.com/edwardian_photos.htm

Note the way the nurses have a veil on.

 

Christian ladies wore the headcovering in England for prayer and prophesying after the 1500's. Here is an article about Susanna Wesley and her portrait shows her with a veil on.

http://www.intouch.org/myintouch/mighty/portraits/susanna_wesley_213595.html

She died in 1742.

In a book called, "Let her be Veiled," written by Tom Shank he says:

"Wenger also points out that the American churches in the late 19th century replaced the veil of England and the Continent with ordinary headgear. "It was usual in American Christian churches for women to have their heads at least covered in worship until the latter years of the 19th century (testimony of Bishop S. F. Coffman, 1872-1954). That which altered the practice of many American Protestant groups was the introduction of huge hats in the 1890's (these hats were nicknamed 'Merry Widows')."

Above book can be read at:
http://www.charityministries.org/textonly/book-veiled-text.cfm#Chapter%204

This English scholar taught headcoverings as late as 1885 for the purpose of prayer and prophesying:

"18. Thomas Charles Edwards (A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians was published in 1885)

a. Edwards was the Principal of the University College of Wales,
Aberystwyth.

b. "It is not improbable that the custom censured by the Apostle was an
attempt to symbolize by unveiling the face in public worship the spiritual
equality of the woman."32

c. "The man shames his natural head by wearing a veil; that is, he shames
himself by wearing a symbol of subjection to the woman, whereas Christ has given the man supremacy over the woman in Church order, and that supremacy is expressed by the symbol of an unveiled face."33

d. "He proves [in 1 Corinthians 11:6 GLP] that a woman that uncovers her
head is one and the same with a woman whose head is shorn or shaven. The proof is that woman's long hair is intended by nature and understood by all nations to be a symbol of her subjection to the man. . . . This, the Apostle
argues, shows the fitness of the veil to be a symbol of the same subjection
in the Christian order. In the Church the veil is added to the symbol of
long hair, because the subjection which nature has imposed upon the woman
receives a special character when it enters into the Christian series of
subordination's."

The above quote is from:
http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/joeflorence/hc.htm

 

I often wonder why this head covering of all issues, brings forth so much strife.