Matilda Betham-Edwards
Encyclopedia
Matilda Betham-Edwards was an English novelist, travel writer and francophile
. She was also a prolific poet
and wrote several children's books. She also corresponded with well-known English male poets of the day.
, she settled down with her sister in Suffolk
to manage the farm which had belonged to her father. Not content, however, with purely rural occupations, she contributed from time to time to Household Words
, having the advantage at this time of the friendship of Charles Dickens
and an early association with Charles and Mary Lamb
, friends of her mother.
On her sister's death, she moved to London and wrote a number of novels of French life based on her frequent visits to France and her intimate knowledge of provincial French homes. Of Huguenot
descent, she considered France her second native land and made it her mission to bring about better understanding and sympathy between the two countries which shared her allegiance. In this way, she did much to promote a better understanding between English and French people. The French government made her an Officier de l’Instruction Publique de France in recognition of her untiring efforts towards the establishment of a genuine and lasting entente cordiale. She was awarded a medal at the Anglo-French Exhibition of 1908.
She is often cited in anthologies of historic lesbian poetry, but there is no strong evidence that she had lesbian tendencies. She died in Hastings
, Sussex in 1919. Professor Joan Rees has written the only biography of Matilda Betham-Edwards, in 2006 (see below for further details).
Francophile
Is a person with a positive predisposition or interest toward the government, culture, history, or people of France. This could include France itself and its history, the French language, French cuisine, literature, etc...
. She was also a prolific poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and wrote several children's books. She also corresponded with well-known English male poets of the day.
Biography
She was the daughter of a clergyman. She studied French and German abroad and after some school teaching in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, she settled down with her sister in 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...
to manage the farm which had belonged to her father. Not content, however, with purely rural occupations, she contributed from time to time to Household Words
Household Words
Household Words was an English weekly magazine edited by Charles Dickens in the 1850s which took its name from the line from Shakespeare "Familiar in his mouth as household words" — Henry V.-History:...
, having the advantage at this time of the friendship of Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
and an early association with Charles and Mary Lamb
Mary Lamb
Mary Ann Lamb , was an English writer, the sister and collaborator of Charles Lamb.-Biography:She was born on 3 December 1764. In 1796, Mary, who had suffered a breakdown from the strain of caring for her family, killed her mother with a kitchen knife, and from then on had to be kept under constant...
, friends of her mother.
On her sister's death, she moved to London and wrote a number of novels of French life based on her frequent visits to France and her intimate knowledge of provincial French homes. Of Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
descent, she considered France her second native land and made it her mission to bring about better understanding and sympathy between the two countries which shared her allegiance. In this way, she did much to promote a better understanding between English and French people. The French government made her an Officier de l’Instruction Publique de France in recognition of her untiring efforts towards the establishment of a genuine and lasting entente cordiale. She was awarded a medal at the Anglo-French Exhibition of 1908.
She is often cited in anthologies of historic lesbian poetry, but there is no strong evidence that she had lesbian tendencies. She died in Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
, Sussex in 1919. Professor Joan Rees has written the only biography of Matilda Betham-Edwards, in 2006 (see below for further details).
Works by Matilda Betham-Edwards
- The White House by the Sea 1857
- Holidays Among the Mountains (or Scenes and Stories of Wales) 1860
- Little Bird Red and Little Bird Blue (verse drama) 1861
- John and I 1862
- Dr. Jacob 1864
- A Winter with the Swallows 1867
- Through Spain to the Sahara 1868
- Kitty 1869
- The Sylvestres 1871
- Felicia 1875
- Bridget 1877
- Brother Gabriel 1878
- Six Life Stories of Famous Women 1880
- Forestalled 1880
- Pearla 1883
- Half-Way 1886
- Next of Kin Wanted 1887
- The Parting of the Ways 1888
- For One and the World 1889
- A Romance of the Wire 1891
- Edition of Arthur Young’s Travels in France 1892
- Romance of a French Parsonage 1892
- France of To-Day 1892
- The Curb of Honour 1893
- A Romance of Dijon 1894
- The Golden Bee and other Recitations 1895
- Autobiography of Arthur Young 1898
- The Lord of the Harvest 1899
- Anglo-French Reminiscences 1900
- A Suffolk Courtship 1900
- Mock Beggars’ Hall 1902
- Barham Brocklebank 1903
- A Humble Lover 1903
- Home Life in France 1905
- Martha Rose 1906
- Poems 1907
- A Close Ring 1907
- Literary Rambles in France 1907
- Friendly Faces of Three Nationalities 1911
- In French Africa 1912
- From an Islington Window 1914
- Hearts of Alsace 1916
- Twentieth Century France 1917
- French Fireside Poetry 1919
- Mid-Victorian Memories 1919
External links
- Works by Matilda Betham-Edwards 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...
- Biography of Matilda Betham Edwards by Professor Joan Rees