Juliana Bernes

There are few undisputed facts about Juliana Bernes (Barnes, Berners). She may have been prioress of a convent near Saint Albans. She may have authored a collection of instructional materials on hunting and heraldry, entitled The Book of Hawking, Hunting, and Blasing of Arms, published at Saint Albans in 1486 and otherwise known as he Book of Saint Albans. The attribution of authorship is based on the colophon at the end of the hunting section, which reads “Explicit Dam Julyans Barnes in her boke of huntyng,” and on notes appended by scholars in subsequent editions up to 1810 which, taken together, create a biography of sorts but cannot be verified by genealogical research. Whether or not the author was Juliana Bernes, however, the fact that parts of the book are addressed to young boys from their “dame” indicate that it was written by a woman.