Annie Keary
Encyclopedia
Anna Maria Keary (March 3, 1825 - March 3, 1879) was an English novelist, poet and children's writer.
, Annie was the daughter of a former army chaplain, William Keary, who came from County Galway
in Ireland, and his wife, Lucy Plumer, of Bilton Hall. She was educated at home. She suffered from poor health and slight deafness.
Her father later became incumbent of Sculcoates
, near Hull
, and simultaneously of Nunnington
in North Yorkshire, where the family moved. Then, when Annie was twenty, came another move to Clifton
near Bristol
, due to her father's declining health. Their relationship was close, and her father gave her much of the information about Ireland that she would later incorporate into her novels. Keary moved in 1848 to keep house for a widowed brother in Staffordshire, who had three children. Six happy years came to an end when her brother remarried. Soon after, she lost two other beloved brothers, and a long engagement was broken off.
Annie's sister Eliza Harriett Keary (1827–1918) also took to writing, particularly poetry, and wrote a memoir of Annie after her death in Eastbourne
in 1879.
The memoir relates how Eliza accompanied the frail Annie to Egypt and to Cannes to do research for her books. The sisters also helped to run a home for unemployed servant girls in Pimlico
. They were befriended by the novelist Charles Kingsley
and his family. The dominant considerations in her life were family ties. She nursed her mother in her last illness in 1869 and later looked after four young cousins whose parents were in India
.
She continued to write children's and educational books, for instance Early Egyptian History (1861) and The Nation Around (1870), but she branched out in 1859 into adult fiction with Through the Shadows (1859), although a measure of fame had to wait until Castle Daly: The Story of an Irish Home Thirty Years Ago (1875), which was reprinted several times up to the end of the 1880s. It portrays the Great Famine and the Young Irelanders’ Uprising
, and was serialized initially in Macmillan’s Magazine. Oldbury (1869) is set in the little town in which she was raised. She collaborated with her sisters Eliza and Maud on Enchanted Tulips and Other Verses for Children, but this does not seem to have been published until 1914.
Her final novel, A Doubting Heart (1879) was completed by a friend, Mrs K. Macquoid. Like her earlier work for adults, it shows signs of being stretched to fill the three volumes required by the publishing trade in those days, although the characterizations and sense of place are strong. A facsimile of the 1886 edition of Castle Daly... appeared in Volume 5 of Irish Women's Writing, 1838-1888.
in 1918. Her nephew Charles Francis Keary (1848–1917), also an author, publishing a novel, Bloomsbury
, and numismatic studies and catalogues.
Life
Born at the rectory in Bilston, now called Bilton-in-Ainsty, YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, Annie was the daughter of a former army chaplain, William Keary, who came from County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
in Ireland, and his wife, Lucy Plumer, of Bilton Hall. She was educated at home. She suffered from poor health and slight deafness.
Her father later became incumbent of Sculcoates
Sculcoates
Sculcoates is a suburb of Kingston upon Hull, north of the city centre, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It had a railway station called Sculcoates railway station but it was closed on 9 June 1912.- Amenities :...
, near Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, and simultaneously of Nunnington
Nunnington
Nunnington is a small village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. The river Rye runs through the village.Nunnington Hall is a Grade I listed mansion owned by the National Trust and open to the public. The parish church, dedicated to All Saints and St James, is also...
in North Yorkshire, where the family moved. Then, when Annie was twenty, came another move to Clifton
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
near Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, due to her father's declining health. Their relationship was close, and her father gave her much of the information about Ireland that she would later incorporate into her novels. Keary moved in 1848 to keep house for a widowed brother in Staffordshire, who had three children. Six happy years came to an end when her brother remarried. Soon after, she lost two other beloved brothers, and a long engagement was broken off.
Annie's sister Eliza Harriett Keary (1827–1918) also took to writing, particularly poetry, and wrote a memoir of Annie after her death in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
in 1879.
The memoir relates how Eliza accompanied the frail Annie to Egypt and to Cannes to do research for her books. The sisters also helped to run a home for unemployed servant girls in Pimlico
Pimlico
Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
. They were befriended by the novelist Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley was an English priest of the Church of England, university professor, historian and novelist, particularly associated with the West Country and northeast Hampshire.-Life and character:...
and his family. The dominant considerations in her life were family ties. She nursed her mother in her last illness in 1869 and later looked after four young cousins whose parents were in India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
.
Works
Annie Keary's first children's book appeared in 1856, the year after her father died. Her third, The Heroes of Asgard (1857), was the first of three on which she collaborated with her sister Eliza. The Rival Kings (1858) broke new ground for a children's book in featuring rival children's gangs and their hatred for each other.She continued to write children's and educational books, for instance Early Egyptian History (1861) and The Nation Around (1870), but she branched out in 1859 into adult fiction with Through the Shadows (1859), although a measure of fame had to wait until Castle Daly: The Story of an Irish Home Thirty Years Ago (1875), which was reprinted several times up to the end of the 1880s. It portrays the Great Famine and the Young Irelanders’ Uprising
Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848
The Young Irelander Rebellion was a failed Irish nationalist uprising led by the Young Ireland movement. It took place on 29 July 1848 in the village of Ballingarry, County Tipperary. After being chased by a force of Young Irelanders and their supporters, an Irish Constabulary unit raided a house...
, and was serialized initially in Macmillan’s Magazine. Oldbury (1869) is set in the little town in which she was raised. She collaborated with her sisters Eliza and Maud on Enchanted Tulips and Other Verses for Children, but this does not seem to have been published until 1914.
Her final novel, A Doubting Heart (1879) was completed by a friend, Mrs K. Macquoid. Like her earlier work for adults, it shows signs of being stretched to fill the three volumes required by the publishing trade in those days, although the characterizations and sense of place are strong. A facsimile of the 1886 edition of Castle Daly... appeared in Volume 5 of Irish Women's Writing, 1838-1888.
Eliza Harriett Keary (1827-1918)
Apart from her collaborations with Annie Keary and her memoir of her, Eliza wrote poetry, which was published at the time, and has received some recent attention from feminist scholars. She died in TorquayTorquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
in 1918. Her nephew Charles Francis Keary (1848–1917), also an author, publishing a novel, Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury
-Places:* Bloomsbury is an area in central London.* Bloomsbury , related local government unit* Bloomsbury, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA* Bloomsbury , listed on the NRHP in Maryland...
, and numismatic studies and catalogues.
External links
- Works by or about Annie Keary at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
(scanned books original editions color illustrated)