Ellenor Fenn
Encyclopedia
Ellenor Fenn (née Frere) was a prolific 18th-century writer of children's books.
to Sheppard and Susanna Frere. John Frere
was her elder brother and John Hookham Frere
her nephew. In 1766 she married the antiquarian
John Fenn
and moved with him to Hill House, Dereham
, Norfolk
. Although they had no biological children, they adopted and brought up an orphaned heiress, Miss Andrews.
's Lessons for Children
(1778-9), and in 1782 she wrote to the children's publisher John Marshall
asking whether he would be willing to publish them. Between 1782 and 1812, he published numerous books by Fenn, often anonymously or under the pseudonyms Mrs. Teachwell or Mrs. Lovechild.
Cobwebs to Catch Flies
(1783), a reading primer, was perhaps her most popular book; it went through multiple editions in both Britain and America until the 1870s.
Her Child's Grammar went through sixty editions by the 1860s.
Fenn also created toys and games that encouraged mothers to teach their children themselves. Andrea Immel, a specialist in 18th-century childhood, writes that through her games, we can “recognize [Fenn] as an early advocate of child-centered teaching strategies” The games emphasize conversation and the child’s own world; they encourage the mother to answer the child's questions and to spontaneously teach when the child is interested in learning.
In 1795, Fenn had a falling out with her publisher, John Marshall, and moved her business to Elizabeth Newbery
's firm and publishers in Norwich
. Throughout her career, Fenn never received any royalties for her work, only free distribution copies of her works.
from 1791-2. Upon his death on 14 February 1794, Fenn was left "financially secure" and able to devote more of her time to philanthropy.
Fenn established a Sunday School in Dereham in 1785 which by 1788 had over 100 pupils. She also started a needlework school and "revived the trade to tow-spinning to give poor women an income."
Fenn died at Dereham on 1 November 1813, aged 69, and was buried at St Bartholomew's church, Finningham
, Suffolk
.
Many of these works focus on how to teach and outline Fenn's idea of proper reading materials.
Fenn published several volumes of what we would now call picturebooks that employed woodcut
s. Her sense of the visual layout of her books was keen and she carefully dictated to her publishers the margins and font sizes of her books.
Early life
Fenn was born on 12 March 1743/44 in Westhorpe, SuffolkWesthorpe, Suffolk
Westhorpe is a linear village and civil parish in the Suffolk countryside, thirteen miles from Bury St. Edmunds, eight miles from Stowmarket and a mile from the villages of Wyverstone and Finningham....
to Sheppard and Susanna Frere. John Frere
John Frere
John Frere was an English antiquary and a pioneering discoverer of Old Stone Age or Palaeolithic tools in association with large extinct animals at Hoxne, Suffolk in 1797.-Life:...
was her elder brother and John Hookham Frere
John Hookham Frere
John Hookham Frere PC was an English diplomat and author.Frere was born in London. His father, John Frere, the member of a Suffolk family, had been educated at Caius College, Cambridge, and would have been senior wrangler in 1763 but for the competition of William Paley; his mother, Jane,...
her nephew. In 1766 she married the antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
John Fenn
John Fenn (antiquarian)
Sir John Fenn was an English antiquary. He is best remembered for collecting, editing, and publishing the Paston Letters, describing the life and political scheming of the gentry in Medieval England...
and moved with him to Hill House, Dereham
Dereham
Dereham, also known as East Dereham, is a town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A47 road, some 15 miles west of the city of Norwich and 25 miles east of King's Lynn. The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. Although they had no biological children, they adopted and brought up an orphaned heiress, Miss Andrews.
Career
Fenn wrote a series of children's books for her nephews and nieces, inspired by Anna Laetitia BarbauldAnna Laetitia Barbauld
Anna Laetitia Barbauld was a prominent English poet, essayist, literary critic, editor, and children's author.A "woman of letters" who published in multiple genres, Barbauld had a successful writing career at a time when female professional writers were rare...
's Lessons for Children
Lessons for Children
Lessons for Children is a series of four age-adapted reading primers written by the prominent 18th-century British poet and essayist Anna Laetitia Barbauld. Published in 1778 and 1779, the books initiated a revolution in children's literature in the Anglo-American world...
(1778-9), and in 1782 she wrote to the children's publisher John Marshall
John Marshall (publisher)
John Marshall was a London publisher who specialized in children's literature, chapbooks, educational games and teaching schemes. He described himself as 'The Children's Printer' and referred to children as his 'young friends' He was the preeminent children's book publisher in England from about...
asking whether he would be willing to publish them. Between 1782 and 1812, he published numerous books by Fenn, often anonymously or under the pseudonyms Mrs. Teachwell or Mrs. Lovechild.
Cobwebs to Catch Flies
Cobwebs to Catch Flies
Cobwebs to Catch Flies is a children's book by Ellenor Fenn, originally anonymous, but later editions were advertised as being by Mrs Teachwell or "Mrs Lovechild"...
(1783), a reading primer, was perhaps her most popular book; it went through multiple editions in both Britain and America until the 1870s.
Her Child's Grammar went through sixty editions by the 1860s.
Fenn also created toys and games that encouraged mothers to teach their children themselves. Andrea Immel, a specialist in 18th-century childhood, writes that through her games, we can “recognize [Fenn] as an early advocate of child-centered teaching strategies” The games emphasize conversation and the child’s own world; they encourage the mother to answer the child's questions and to spontaneously teach when the child is interested in learning.
In 1795, Fenn had a falling out with her publisher, John Marshall, and moved her business to Elizabeth Newbery
John Newbery
John Newbery was an English publisher of books who first made children's literature a sustainable and profitable part of the literary market. He also supported and published the works of Christopher Smart, Oliver Goldsmith and Samuel Johnson...
's firm and publishers in Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
. Throughout her career, Fenn never received any royalties for her work, only free distribution copies of her works.
Life and death in Dereham
When Fenn's husband was knighted in 1787, Fenn became known as Lady Fenn. He served as High Sheriff of NorfolkNorfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
from 1791-2. Upon his death on 14 February 1794, Fenn was left "financially secure" and able to devote more of her time to philanthropy.
Fenn established a Sunday School in Dereham in 1785 which by 1788 had over 100 pupils. She also started a needlework school and "revived the trade to tow-spinning to give poor women an income."
Fenn died at Dereham on 1 November 1813, aged 69, and was buried at St Bartholomew's church, Finningham
Finningham
Finningham is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located adjacent to the Great Eastern Main Line , in 2005 its population was 430....
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
Literary analysis
Many of Fenn's works were directed towards young girls and women. She wrote an entire series entitled "Mrs. Teachwell's Library for Young Ladies."Many of these works focus on how to teach and outline Fenn's idea of proper reading materials.
Fenn published several volumes of what we would now call picturebooks that employed woodcut
Woodcut
Woodcut—occasionally known as xylography—is a relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed, typically with gouges...
s. Her sense of the visual layout of her books was keen and she carefully dictated to her publishers the margins and font sizes of her books.
List of works
This list of works relies almost exclusively on Carol Percy's bibliography of Fenn's works.- Set of Toys (c.1780) - game
- School Occurrences (1782-3)
- Juvenile Correspondence (1783)
- Cobwebs to Catch FliesCobwebs to Catch FliesCobwebs to Catch Flies is a children's book by Ellenor Fenn, originally anonymous, but later editions were advertised as being by Mrs Teachwell or "Mrs Lovechild"...
(1783) - Fables, by Mrs. Teachwell (1783)
- Fables in Monosyllables by Mrs. Teachwell (1783)
- Rational Sports (1783)
- School Dialogues for Boys (1783-4)
- Female Guardian (1784)
- Art of Teaching in Sport (1785)
- The Rational Dame (1786)
- A Spelling Book (1787)
- Fairy Spectator (1789)
- Juvenile Tatler (1789)
- The Village Matron (1795)
- The Short History of Insects (1796)
- The Infant's Friend (1797)
- The Mother's Grammar (1798)
- The Child's Grammar (1798)
- Parsing Lessons for Elder Pupils (1798)
- Parsing Lessons for Young Children (1798)
- The Friend to Mothers (1799)
- Family Miscellany (1805)
- The Teacher's Assistant (1809)