Fanny Vandegrift
Encyclopedia
Frances (Fanny) Matilda Van de Grift Osbourne Stevenson (10 March 1840 —18 February 1914) was the wife of Robert Louis Stevenson
and mother of Isobel
and Lloyd Osbourne
.
, the daughter of builder Jacob Vandegrift, and his wife Esther Thomas Keen. She was something of a tomboy, and had dark curly hair. At the age of seventeen she married Samuel Osbourne, a lieutenant on the State Governor's staff. Their daughter Isobel (or 'Belle') was born the following year.
Samuel fought in the American Civil War
, went with a friend sick with tuberculosis
to California
, and via San Francisco, he ended up in the silver mines of Nevada
. Once settled there he sent for his family. Fanny and the five-year-old Isobel made the long journey via New York
, the isthmus of Panama
, San Francisco, and finally by wagons and stage-coach to the mining camps of the Reese River
, and the town of Austin
in Lander County. Life was difficult in the mining town, and there were few women around. Fanny learned to shoot a pistol and to roll her own cigarettes.
The family moved to Virginia City, Nevada
. Samuel began going with saloon girls, and in 1866 he headed off gold prospecting in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains
, and Fanny and her daughter journeyed to San Francisco. There was a rumour that Sam had been killed by a grizzly bear, but he returned to the family safe, and a second child Samuel Lloyd
was born in 1868. But Samuel continued philandering and Fanny returned to Indianapolis
The couple were reconciled again in 1869, and lived in Oakland
where a second son, Hervey, was born. Fanny took up painting and gardening. However, Sam's behaviour did not improve, and Fanny finally left him in 1875 and moved with her three children to Europe. They lived in Antwerp for three months, and then in order to allow Fanny to study art, they moved to Paris
where Fanny and Isobel both enrolled in the Académie Julian
. Hervey sick with scrofulous tuberculosis
, died on 5 April 1876, and was buried in a temporary grave at Père Lachaise.
. Convinced of his talent, she encouraged and inspired him. He became deeply attached to her, but Fanny returned abruptly to California.
Stevenson announced his intention of following her, but his parents refused to pay for it, so he saved for three years in order to pay his own way. In 1879, despite protests of family and friends, Stevenson went to Monterey, California
, where Fanny was recovering from an emotional breakdown related to indecision about whether to leave her philandering husband. Stevenson wrote many of his most 'muscular' essays in Monterey while awaiting Fanny's decision.
The lady ultimately chose Stevenson, and in May 1880, they were married in San Francisco. A few days later, the couple left for a honeymoon in the Napa Valley
, where Stevenson produced his work Silverado Squatters. He later wrote The Amateur Emigrant
in two parts about his passage to America: From the Clyde to Sandy Hook and Across the Plains. His middle-class friends were shocked by his travel with the lower classes; it was not published in full in his lifetime, and his father bought up most copies.
In August 1880, the family moved to Great Britain, where Fanny helped to patch things up between Robert and his father. Always in search of a climate conducive to Stevenson's ailing health, the couple traveled to the Adironacks in the U.S. In 1888, they chartered the Casco out of San Francisco and sailed to Western Samoa. Later voyages on the Equator
and Janet Nicoll with Lloyd followed. They settled in Upolu
, at their home Vailima, where Stevenson died on 3 December 1894.
.
on February 18, 1914, Field, her last companion-in-adventure, described her as "the only woman in the world worth dying for." In 1915, her ashes were taken by her daughter to Samoa
where they were interred next to Stevenson on top of Mount Vaea
. The bronze plaque for Fanny bears her Samoan name 'Aolele' (Flying Cloud in Samoan
).
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
and mother of Isobel
Isobel Osbourne
Isobel "Belle" Osbourne Strong Field was Robert Louis Stevenson's step-daughter and sister of Lloyd Osbourne. She was born in Indianapolis to Samuel and Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne....
and Lloyd Osbourne
Lloyd Osbourne
Samuel Lloyd Osbourne was an American author and the stepson of Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson with whom he would co-author three books and provide input and ideas on others.-Early life:...
.
Early life
Fanny Vandegrift was born in IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, the daughter of builder Jacob Vandegrift, and his wife Esther Thomas Keen. She was something of a tomboy, and had dark curly hair. At the age of seventeen she married Samuel Osbourne, a lieutenant on the State Governor's staff. Their daughter Isobel (or 'Belle') was born the following year.
Samuel fought in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, went with a friend sick with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and via San Francisco, he ended up in the silver mines of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. Once settled there he sent for his family. Fanny and the five-year-old Isobel made the long journey via New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the isthmus of Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, San Francisco, and finally by wagons and stage-coach to the mining camps of the Reese River
Reese River
The Reese River is a tributary of the Humboldt River, located in central Nevada in the western United States. It rises in the southern section of the Toiyabe Range, on the flanks of Arc Dome...
, and the town of Austin
Austin, Nevada
Austin is a small, unincorporated community located in Lander County, Nevada, in the United States. As of 2004, its population is approximately 340. It is located on the western slopes of the Toiyabe Range at an elevation of . U.S...
in Lander County. Life was difficult in the mining town, and there were few women around. Fanny learned to shoot a pistol and to roll her own cigarettes.
The family moved to Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
. Samuel began going with saloon girls, and in 1866 he headed off gold prospecting in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains
Coeur d'Alene Mountains
The Coeur d'Alene Mountains are the northwestern-most portion of the Bitterroot Range, part of the Rocky Mountains, located in the northern Idaho and westernmost Montana in the Western United States....
, and Fanny and her daughter journeyed to San Francisco. There was a rumour that Sam had been killed by a grizzly bear, but he returned to the family safe, and a second child Samuel Lloyd
Lloyd Osbourne
Samuel Lloyd Osbourne was an American author and the stepson of Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson with whom he would co-author three books and provide input and ideas on others.-Early life:...
was born in 1868. But Samuel continued philandering and Fanny returned to Indianapolis
The couple were reconciled again in 1869, and lived in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
where a second son, Hervey, was born. Fanny took up painting and gardening. However, Sam's behaviour did not improve, and Fanny finally left him in 1875 and moved with her three children to Europe. They lived in Antwerp for three months, and then in order to allow Fanny to study art, they moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where Fanny and Isobel both enrolled in the Académie Julian
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian was an art school in Paris, France.Rodolphe Julian established the Académie Julian in 1868 at the Passage des Panoramas, as a private studio school for art students. The Académie Julian not only prepared students to the exams at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, but offered...
. Hervey sick with scrofulous tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, died on 5 April 1876, and was buried in a temporary grave at Père Lachaise.
With Stevenson
While in Paris, she met and befriended Robert Louis StevensonRobert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
. Convinced of his talent, she encouraged and inspired him. He became deeply attached to her, but Fanny returned abruptly to California.
Stevenson announced his intention of following her, but his parents refused to pay for it, so he saved for three years in order to pay his own way. In 1879, despite protests of family and friends, Stevenson went to Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, where Fanny was recovering from an emotional breakdown related to indecision about whether to leave her philandering husband. Stevenson wrote many of his most 'muscular' essays in Monterey while awaiting Fanny's decision.
The lady ultimately chose Stevenson, and in May 1880, they were married in San Francisco. A few days later, the couple left for a honeymoon in the Napa Valley
Napa County, California
Napa County is a county located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is coterminous with the Napa, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population is 136,484. The county seat is Napa....
, where Stevenson produced his work Silverado Squatters. He later wrote The Amateur Emigrant
The Amateur Emigrant
The Amateur Emigrant is Robert Louis Stevenson's travel memoir of his journey from Scotland to California in 1879-1880. It is not a complete account, covering the first third, by ship from Europe to New York City...
in two parts about his passage to America: From the Clyde to Sandy Hook and Across the Plains. His middle-class friends were shocked by his travel with the lower classes; it was not published in full in his lifetime, and his father bought up most copies.
In August 1880, the family moved to Great Britain, where Fanny helped to patch things up between Robert and his father. Always in search of a climate conducive to Stevenson's ailing health, the couple traveled to the Adironacks in the U.S. In 1888, they chartered the Casco out of San Francisco and sailed to Western Samoa. Later voyages on the Equator
Equator (schooner)
The two-masted pygmy trading schooner Equator on which in 1889 Robert Louis Stevenson and Fanny Vandegrift Stevenson were passengers on a voyage through the islands of Micronesia, visiting Butaritari...
and Janet Nicoll with Lloyd followed. They settled in Upolu
Upolu
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long, in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of...
, at their home Vailima, where Stevenson died on 3 December 1894.
Return to California
After his death, Fanny, imbued with her late husband's love of adventure, returned to California to begin a new life in America and Europe with an adoring companion decades her junior, newsman Ned FieldEdward Salisbury Field
Edward Salisbury Field was an American author, playwright, artist, poet, and journalist. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana to Edward Salisbury and Sarah Mills Hubbard Field...
.
Death
When Fanny died in Santa Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
on February 18, 1914, Field, her last companion-in-adventure, described her as "the only woman in the world worth dying for." In 1915, her ashes were taken by her daughter to Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
where they were interred next to Stevenson on top of Mount Vaea
Mount Vaea
Mount Vaea is a 472m summit overlooking Apia, the capital of Samoa located on the north central coast of Upolu island. The mountain is situated south about 3 km inland from Apia township and harbour...
. The bronze plaque for Fanny bears her Samoan name 'Aolele' (Flying Cloud in Samoan
Samoan language
Samoan Samoan Samoan (Gagana Sāmoa, is the language of the Samoan Islands, comprising the independent country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language—alongside English—in both jurisdictions. Samoan, a Polynesian language, is the first language for most...
).
Further reading
- Dead Man's Chest: Travels after Robert Louis Stevenson, Nicholas RankinNicholas RankinNicholas Rankin is a British writer and broadcaster.Rankin was born in Yorkshire, England but grew up in Kenya. He was educated at Shrewsbury School and Christ Church, Oxford. He has lived and worked in Bolivia and Catalonia, Spain....
, ISBN 0-571-13808-X - Tales of Love and Hate in Old San Francisco, Mille Robbins. Chronicle Books, San Francisco 1971. ISBN 1125489812
- Robert Louis Stevensoon's Ethics for Rascals, Elayne Wareing Fitzpatrick, Xlibris Books, Philadelphia, 2000. ISBN 0-7388-3548-X
External links
- Works by/about Fanny Vandegrift, 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...