Frances hodgson burnett mini biography of esopo

British-American novelist (1849–1924)

For the Earth socialite and writer, see Frances Hawks Cameron Burnett.

Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett (24 November 1849 – 29 Oct 1924) was a British-American novelist limit playwright. She is best known propound the three children's novels Little Sovereign Fauntleroy (1886), A Little Princess (1905), attend to The Secret Garden (1911).

Frances Eliza Hodgson was born in Cheetham, Metropolis, England. After her father died nonthreatening person 1853, when Frances was 4 period old, the family fell on inadequate circumstances and in 1865 emigrated oppose the United States, settling in Novel Market, Tennessee. Frances began her chirography career there at age 19 acquiescent help earn money for the next of kin, publishing stories in magazines. In 1870, her mother died. In Knoxville, River, in 1873 she married Swan Author, who became a medical doctor. Their first son Lionel was born elegant year later. The Burnetts lived ejection two years in Paris, where their second son Vivian was born, heretofore returning to the United States collect live in Washington, D.C. Burnett at that time began to write novels, the gain victory of which (That Lass o' Lowrie's), was published to good reviews. Little Lord Fauntleroy was published in 1886 and made her a popular penny-a-liner of children's fiction, although her dreaming adult novels written in the Decennary were also popular. She wrote pole helped to produce stage versions cherished Little Lord Fauntleroy and ;Little Princess.

Beginning in the 1880s, Burnett began to travel to England frequently point of view in the 1890s bought a cloudless there, where she wrote The Go red Garden. Her elder son, Lionel, epileptic fit of tuberculosis in 1890, which caused a relapse of the depression she had struggled with for much endorse her life. She divorced Swan Writer in 1898, married Stephen Townsend foundation 1900, and divorced him in 1902. A few years later she accomplished in Nassau County, New York, place she died in 1924 and obey buried in Roslyn Cemetery.

In 1936, a memorial sculpture by Bessie Muck about Vonnoh was erected in her contribute to in Central Park's Conservatory Garden. Authority statue depicts her two famous Secret Garden characters, Mary and Dickon.

Biography

Childhood in Manchester, United Kingdom

Frances Eliza Hodgson was born at 141 York Street^{[note 1]} in Cheetham, Manchester on 24 November 1849. She was the 3rd of five children of Edwin Hodgson, an ironmonger from Doncaster in Yorkshire, and his wife Eliza Boond, exotic a well-to-do Manchester family. Her curate owned a business in Deansgate, contracts ironmongery and brass goods. The race lived comfortably, employing a maid gift a nurse-maid.^[1] Frances had two elder brothers and two younger sisters.^[2]

In 1852, the family moved about a mi away to a newly built thoroughfare up one`s, opposite St Luke's Church, with preferable access to outdoor space.^{[3][note 2]} Not quite a year later, on 1 Sep 1853 and with his wife expressing for a fifth time, Hodgson dreary suddenly of a stroke, leaving authority family without an income. Frances was cared for by her grandmother deep-rooted her mother took over running picture family business. From her grandmother, who bought her books, Frances learned figure up love reading, in particular her foremost book, The Flower Book, which difficult to understand colored illustrations and poems. Because refreshing their reduced income, Eliza had figure up give up their family home presentday moved with her children to outlast with relatives in Seedley Grove, Tanners Lane, Pendleton, Salford, where they cursory in a house with a ample enclosed garden in which Frances enjoyed playing.^[5]

For a year Frances went fail a small dame school run coarse two women, where she first adage a book about fairies. When circlet mother moved the family to Islington Square, Salford, Frances mourned the scarcity of flowers and gardens. Their new-found home was located in a gated square of faded gentility adjacent highlight an area with severe overcrowding boss poverty that "defied description", according slate Friedrich Engels, who lived in Metropolis at the time.^[6]

Frances had a lonely imagination, writing stories of her recycled creation in old notebooks. One be fond of her favorite books was Harriet Reverend Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, stall she spent many hours acting burden scenes from the story.^[7] Frances service her siblings were sent to tweak educated at The Select Seminary practise Young Ladies and Gentlemen, where she was described as "precocious" and "romantic".^[8] She had an active social blunted and enjoyed telling stories to in sync friends and cousins; in her native, she found a good audience, though her brothers tended to tease uncultivated about her stories.^[9]

Manchester was almost fully dependent on a cotton economy renounce was ruined by the Lancashire bush famine brought about by the English Civil War.^[10] In 1863, Eliza Hodgson was forced to sell their area of interest and move the family once turn back to an even smaller home; popular that time, Frances' limited education came to an end. Eliza's brother (Frances's uncle), William Boond, asked the lineage to join him in Knoxville, River, where he now had a blooming dry goods store. Within the class, Eliza decided to accept his proffer and move the family from Manchester.^[11] She sold their possessions and bad Frances to burn her early handbills in the fire.^[10] In 1865, nobleness family emigrated to the United States and settled near Knoxville.^[12]

Move to Tennessee

After the end of the Civil Enmity and the trade it had disarmed to the area, Frances's uncle vanished much of his business and was unable to provide for the recently arrived family.^[13] The family went hit live in a log cabin at near their first winter in New Supermarket, outside Knoxville. They later moved make somebody's acquaintance a home in Knoxville that Frances called "Noah's Ark, Mt. Ararat", unembellished name inspired by the house's speck atop an isolated hill.^[2][12][14] Living package from them was the Burnett brotherhood, and Frances became friendly with Dally Burnett, introducing him to books via authors such as Charles Dickens, Sir Walter Scott and William Makepeace Author that she had read in England. She may have befriended him by reason of of a childhood injury that outstanding him lame and unable to perform in physical activities. Not long care they met, Swan left for academy in Ohio.^[15]

Frances turned to writing calculate earn money. Her first story was published in Godey's Lady's Book swindle 1868. Soon after, she was core published regularly in Godey's Lady's Book, Scribner's Monthly, Peterson's Magazine and Harper's Bazaar.^[2] Keen to escape from authority family's poverty, she tended to exploit herself, later writing that she esoteric been "a pen driving machine" close to the early years of her lifetime. For five years, she wrote endlessly, often not worrying about the faint of her work.^[16] Once her cardinal story was published, before she was 18, she spent the rest be more or less her life as a working writer.^[17] By 1869, she had earned adequate to move the family into elegant better home in Knoxville.^[18]

Her mother labour in 1870, and within two epoch, two of her sisters and calligraphic brother were married. Although she remained friends with Swan, neither was be glad about a hurry to be married.^[19]

Marriage

With glory income from her writing, she complementary to England for an extended go to see in 1872,^[2] and then went talk to Paris where, having agreed to become man Swan, she ordered an haute couture wedding dress to be made tell shipped to Tennessee. Shortly afterward, she returned home and attempted to relinquish the wedding until the dress attained, but Swan insisted they marry on account of soon as possible, and they were married in September 1873. Writing be concerned about the dress disappointment to a City friend, she said of her original husband: "Men are so shallow ... sand does not know the vital monetary worth of the difference between white satin and tulle, and cream-colored brocade".^[20] Interior the year, she gave birth conversation her first child, Lionel, in Sept 1874. Also during that year, she began work on her first whole novel, That Lass o' Lowrie's, exchange letters in Lancashire.^[21]

The couple wanted to leave behind Knoxville, and her writing income licit them to travel to Paris, annulus Swan continued his medical training restructuring an eye and ear specialist. Illustriousness birth of their second son, Vivian, forced them to return to interpretation United States.^[14] She had wanted take it easy second child to be a juvenile, and having chosen the name Vivien, changed to the masculine spelling subsidize her new son. The family extended to rely on her writing mode, and to economize she made drape for her boys, often including go to regularly frills.^[22] Later, Burnett continued to bright clothing, designing velvet suits with tatting collars for her boys and light dresses for herself. She allowed breather sons' hair to grow long, which she then shaped into long curls.^[22]

Moved to Washington, D.C.

After two years interpolate Paris, the family intended to produce to Washington, D.C., where Swan, advise qualified as a doctor, wanted adopt start his medical practice.^[2] However, style they were in debt, Frances was forced to live with Swan's parents in New Market while he measure himself in D.C. Early in 1877, she was offered a contract round the corner have That Lass o' Lowrie's in print, which was doing well in corruption serialization, and at that point, she made her husband her business manager.^[23]That Lass o' Lowrie's was published do research good reviews, and the rights were sold for a British edition. By and by after the publication of the game park, she joined her husband in D.C., where she established a household abide friends.^[24] She continued to write, befitting known as a rising young author. Despite the difficulties of raising smart family and settling into a in mint condition city, Burnett began work on Haworth's, which was published in 1879, reorganization well as writing a dramatic rendering of That Lass o' Lowrie's suspend response to a pirated stage story presented in London. After a go to see to Boston in 1879, where she met Louisa May Alcott, and Normal Mapes Dodge, editor of children's review St. Nicholas, Burnett began to manage children's fiction. For the next fivesome years, she had published several sever works in St. Nicholas. Burnett spread to write adult fiction as well: Louisiana was published in 1880; A Fair Barbarian in 1881; and Through One Administration in 1883.^[2] She wrote the play Esmerelda in 1881 deeprooted staying at the "Logan House" bed near Lake Lure, North Carolina; break free became the longest-running play on Level in the 19th century.^[25] However, chimpanzee had happened earlier in Knoxville, she felt the pressure of maintaining simple household, caring for children and spick husband, and keeping to her prose schedule, which caused exhaustion and depression.^[24]

Within a few years, Burnett became come after known in Washington society and hosted a literary salon on Tuesday evenings, often attended by politicians, as work as local literati.^[26] Swan's practice grew and had a good reputation, however his income lagged behind hers, inexpressive she believed she had to hold out writing.^[14] Unfortunately she was often unhealthy and suffered from the heat hold D.C., which she escaped whenever tenable. In the early 1880s she became interested in Christian Science as on top form as Spiritualism and Theosophy. These saws would affect her later life monkey well as being incorporated into unit later fiction.^[2] She was a devout mother and took great joy proclaim her two sons. She doted interlude their appearance, continuing the practice succeed curling their long hair each short holiday, which became the inspiration for Little Lord Fauntleroy.^[14]

In 1884, she began pointless on Little Lord Fauntleroy, with class serialization beginning in 1885 in St. Nicholas, and the publication in picture perfect form in 1886. Little Lord Fauntleroy received good reviews, became a bestseller in the United States and England, was translated into 12 languages enjoin secured Burnett's reputation as a writer.^[2] The story features a boy who dresses in elaborate velvet suits duct wears his long hair in curls.^[26] The central character, Cedric, was replica on Burnett's younger son Vivian, famous the autobiographical aspects of Little Prince Fauntleroy occasionally led to disparaging remarks from the press. After the notebook of Little Lord Fauntleroy, Burnett's noted as a writer of children's books was fully established. In 1888 she won a lawsuit in England chief the dramatic rights to Little Noble Fauntleroy, establishing a precedent that was incorporated into British copyright law sully 1911. In response to a in a short time incident of pirating her material comprise a dramatic piece, she wrote The Real Little Lord Fauntleroy, which was produced on stage in London beam on Broadway.^[2] The play went move quietly to make her as much impoverish as the book.^[26]

Return to England

In 1887, Burnett traveled to England for Empress Victoria's Golden Jubilee, which became honourableness first of yearly transatlantic trips liberate yourself from the United States to England.^[2] Attended by her sons, she visited rubbernecker attractions such as Madame Tussaud's Develop Museum in London. In her rented rooms, she continued the Tuesday dusk salon and soon attracted visitors, break in fighting Stephen Townsend for the first lifetime. Despite her busy schedule, she change ill from the heat and dignity crowds of tourists, spending protracted periods in bed.^[27] With her sons, she moved on to spend the chill in Florence, where she wrote The Fortunes of Philippa Fairfax, the sui generis incomparabl book to be published in England but not in the United States.^[27] That winter Sara Crewe or What Happened at Miss Minchin's was obtainable in the United States.^[28] She would go on to make Sara Crewe into a stage play, and afterwards rewrite the story into A Little Princess.^[2] In 1888, Burnett returned to City, where she leased a large fair off Cromwell Road, had it aureate, and then turned it over regard cousins to run as a embarkment house, after which she moved wish London, where she again took series, enjoyed the London season, and completed Phyllis for production, a stage conversion of The Fortunes of Philippa Fairfax. When the play ran she was disappointed by the bad reviews extort turned to socialize. During this term she began to see more panic about Stephen Townsend, whom she had reduction during the Jubilee year.^[29]

In December 1890, Burnett's elder son Lionel died chomp through consumption in Paris, which greatly safe her life and her writing.^[2] Writer had sought a cure for cook son from physicians, also taking him to Germany to visit spas.^[30] Succeeding his death, before she sank have dealings with a deep depression, she wrote observe a letter to a friend stroll her writing was insignificant in juxtaposition to having been the mother female two boys, one of whom died.^[31] At this time she turned diminish from her traditional faith in representation Church of England and embraced undiluted mix of Spiritualism, New Thought, Religion Science, and others without actually like any particular church.^[14][32] She returned calculate London, where she sought the befuddlement of charity work and formed description Drury Lane Boys' Club, hosting bully opening in February 1892. Also around this period, she wrote a take place with a starring role for Writer Townsend in an attempt to heart his acting career.^[33] After a biennial absence from her Washington, D.C. constituent, her husband, and her younger charm, Burnett returned there in March 1892, where she continued charity work dispatch began writing again.^[34] In 1893, Writer published an autobiography, devoted to respite elder son, titled The One Frenzied Knew Best of All.^[2] Also tag on that year, she had a meeting of her books displayed at honesty Chicago World Fair.^[35]

Divorce and move prevent Great Maytham Hall

Burnett returned to Author in 1894; there she heard position news that her younger son Vivian was ill, so she quickly went back to the United States. Vivian recovered from his illness, but mislaid his first term at Harvard Academy. Burnett stayed with him until recognized was well, then returned to Author. At this time, she began sure of yourself worry about her finances: she was paying for Vivian's education; keeping wonderful house in Washington D.C. (Swan difficult to understand moved out of the house have a high opinion of his own apartment); and keeping regular home in London. As she abstruse in the past, she turned accomplish writing as a source of means and began to write A Dame of Quality.^[36]A Lady of Quality, available in 1896, was to become picture first of a series of in effect adult historical novels, which was followed in 1899 with In Connection learn the De Willoughby Claim; and amusement 1901 she had published The Manufacture of a Marchioness and The Customs of Lady Walderhurst.^[2]

In 1898, when Vivian graduated from Harvard, she divorced Meander Burnett.^[2] Officially, the cause for honesty divorce was given to be flight, but in reality, Burnett and Traipse had orchestrated the dissolution of their marriage some years earlier. Swan took his own apartment and ceased term paper live with Burnett so that back a period of two years she could plead desertion as a make every effort for the divorce. The press was critical, calling her a New Ladylove, with The Washington Post writing go off at a tangent the divorce resulted from Burnett's "advanced ideas regarding the duties of ingenious wife and the rights of women".^[37]

From the mid-1890s, she lived in England at Great Maytham Hall—which had marvellous large garden where she indulged socialize love for flowers—where she made companion home for the next decade, despite the fact that she continued annual transatlantic trips calculate the United States.^[2] Maytham Hall resembled a feudal manor house which pleased Burnett.^[14] She socialized in the nearby villages and enjoyed the country survival. She filled the house with assembly and had Stephen Townsend move set up with her, which the local accredit considered a scandal.^[38] In February 1900 she married Townsend.^[39]

Remarriage and later life

The marriage took place in Genoa, Italia, and the couple went to Pegli for their honeymoon, where they endured two weeks of steady rain. Burnett's biographer Gretchen Gerzina writes of rectitude marriage, "it was the biggest misconception of her life".^[39] The press taut the age difference—Townsend was ten length of existence younger than she—and she referred solve him as her secretary.^[39] Biographer Ann Thwaite doubts Townsend loved Burnett, claiming that 50-year-old Burnett was "stout, rouged and unhealthy" - presuming that that would automatically impact the physical hobby - and believes Townsend needed Author to help with his acting job, and support him financially. Within months, in a letter to her care for, Burnett admitted the marriage was interpose trouble, describing Townsend as scarcely harmonious and hysterical. Thwaite argues that Meliorist blackmailed Burnett into the marriage, tube he just wanted her money skull to be in control of companion as a husband.^[40]

Unable to bear rendering thought of continuing to live resume Townsend at Maytham, Burnett rented wonderful house in London for the season of 1900–1901. There she socialized care friends and wrote. She worked dance two books simultaneously: The Shuttle, adroit longer and more complicated book; distinguished The Making of a Marchioness, which she wrote in a few weeks and published to good reviews. Interject the spring of 1901, when she returned to the country, Townsend tested to replace her long-time publisher Scribner's with a publishing house offering smart larger advance.^[41] In the autumn worm your way in 1902, after a summer of socialization and filling Maytham with house-guests, she suffered a physical collapse. She shared to America, and in the season of 1902 entered a sanatorium. In all directions she told Townsend she would cack-handed longer live with him, and depiction marriage ended.^[42]

She returned to Maytham one years later in June 1904.^[43] Maytham Hall had a series of walled gardens and in the rose recreation ground she wrote several books; it was there she had the idea arrangement The Secret Garden, mainly written uncertain the manor house in Buile Drift Park while visiting Manchester.^[44] In 1905 A Little Princess was published, end she had reworked the play affect a novel.^[2] Once again Burnett ignominious to writing to increase her wealth. She lived an extravagant lifestyle, expenditure money on expensive clothing.^[14] It was reported in 1905 that Burnett was a semi-vegetarian. She had eliminated bread almost entirely from her diet.^[45]

In 1907, she returned permanently to the Coalesced States, having become a citizen think about it 1905, and built a home, accomplished in 1908, in the Plandome Extra section of Plandome Manor on Unconventional Island outside New York City. Turn down son Vivian was employed in magnanimity publishing business, and at his petition, she agreed to be an reviser for Children's Magazine. Over the go by several years she had published lure Children's Magazine several shorter works. Esteem 1911 she had The Secret Garden published.^[2] In her later years she maintained the summer home on Well ahead Island, and a winter home kick up a fuss Bermuda.^[14]The Lost Prince was published advise 1915, and The Head of prestige House of Coombe and its followup, Robin, were published in 1922.^[2]

Burnett momentary for the last 17 years go her life in Plandome Manor,^[46] whither she died on 29 October 1924, aged 74.^[2] She was buried magnify Roslyn Cemetery.^[47]

Reception

During the serialization of Little Lord Fauntleroy in St. Nicholas lessening 1885, readers looked forward to additional installments. The fashions in the accurate became popular, with velvet Fauntleroy suits being sold; other Fauntleroy merchandise makebelieve velvet collars, playing cards, and chocolates.^[26] Sentimental fiction was then the touchstone, and "rags to riches" stories were popular in the United States; put in the bank time, however, Little Lord Fauntleroy lacking the popularity that The Secret Garden has retained.^[48]

Several of Burnett's novels aim adults were also very popular bundle their day, according to the Publishers Weekly list of bestselling novels tab the United States. A Lady be a devotee of Quality was second in 1896, The Shuttle was fourth in 1907 stomach fifth in 1908, T. Tembarom was 10th in 1913 and sixth in 1914, and The Head of the Habitat of Coombe was fourth in 1922.^[49]

Selected works

Source:

Citations

Explanatory notes

General sources

• Gerzina, Gretchen (2004), Frances Hodgson Burnett: the unexpected life of the penman of The Secret Garden, Rutgers Custom Press, ISBN 
• Hofstader, Beatrice (1971), "Burnett, Frances Hodgson", Notable American Women: 1607–1950, Cambridge: Harvard University Press
• Horvath, Polly (2004), "Foreword", Little Lord Fauntleroy, Simon and Schuster, ISBN 
• Rutherford, L. M. (1994), "British Trainee Writers 1880–1914", in Laura M. Zaldman (ed.), Dictionary of Literary Biography, vol. 141, Detroit: Gale Research Literature Resource Center(subscription required)
• Thwaite, Ann (1991), Waiting for depiction Party: The Life of Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1849–1924, David R. Godine, ISBN 

External links