Priscilla Wakefield
Encyclopedia
Priscilla Wakefield, nee Priscilla Bell (1751–1832) was an English
Quaker educational writer and philanthropist
.
, then a village north of London
. Her father was Daniel Bell of Stamford Hill, Middlesex, his wife Catharine was the granddaughter of the Quaker theologian Robert Barclay
. She married Edward Wakefield (1750–1826), a London merchant, and had three children. Writing to support her family financially, she wrote seventeen books in two decades. She was one of many female English writers at the end of the eighteenth century who began to demand a wider life for women. Charities which she founded included a maternity hospital, a Female Benefit Club, and a Penny Bank for children, which developed into England
's first savings bank
.
Mrs. Wakefield died at the house of her daughter, Mrs. Head, on Albion Hill, Ipswich, on 12 September 1832, and was buried on 20 December in the Friends' burial-ground at the New Meeting House, Ipswich. A portrait of Mrs. Wakefield and her sister, Mrs. Gurney, painted by Thomas Gainsborough
, was exhibited at South Kensington in 1868.
A portrait in lithograph is in the London Friends' Institute. She was a member of the Society of Friends, and conformed to their religious practice, but did not observe their restrictions in regard either to dress or to abstinence from amusements. Mrs. Elizabeth Fry
was her niece. She had two sons and a daughter. Two sons were Edward Wakefield (1774-1854) and Daniel Wakefield
. The daughter, Isabella (d. 17 Oct. 1841), married Jeremiah Head
of Ipswich. Edward Gibbon Wakefield
was her grandson.
. Her early publication, Juvenile Anecdotes, founded on Facts, was successful, and she went on to publish other books of the same nature, and of a more advanced character, dealing with science and travel.
Wakefield had considerable knowledge of botany
and natural history
, and in 1796 she published An Introduction to Botany, in a Series of Familiar Letters, London, 12mo, which was translated into French in 1801, and reached an eleventh edition in 1841. It was followed by An Introduction to the Natural History and Classification of Insects, in a Series of Letters, London, 1816, 12mo.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
Quaker educational writer and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
Life
Priscilla Bell was born into a family in TottenhamTottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
, then a village north of London
London
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...
. Her father was Daniel Bell of Stamford Hill, Middlesex, his wife Catharine was the granddaughter of the Quaker theologian Robert Barclay
Robert Barclay
Robert Barclay was a Scottish Quaker, one of the most eminent writers belonging to the Religious Society of Friends and a member of the Clan Barclay. He was also governor of the East Jersey colony in North America through most of the 1680s, although he himself never resided in the...
. She married Edward Wakefield (1750–1826), a London merchant, and had three children. Writing to support her family financially, she wrote seventeen books in two decades. She was one of many female English writers at the end of the eighteenth century who began to demand a wider life for women. Charities which she founded included a maternity hospital, a Female Benefit Club, and a Penny Bank for children, which developed into England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's first savings bank
Savings bank
A savings bank is a financial institution whose primary purpose is accepting savings deposits. It may also perform some other functions.In Europe, savings banks originated in the 19th or sometimes even the 18th century. Their original objective was to provide easily accessible savings products to...
.
Mrs. Wakefield died at the house of her daughter, Mrs. Head, on Albion Hill, Ipswich, on 12 September 1832, and was buried on 20 December in the Friends' burial-ground at the New Meeting House, Ipswich. A portrait of Mrs. Wakefield and her sister, Mrs. Gurney, painted by Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough was an English portrait and landscape painter.-Suffolk:Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk. He was the youngest son of John Gainsborough, a weaver and maker of woolen goods. At the age of thirteen he impressed his father with his penciling skills so that he let...
, was exhibited at South Kensington in 1868.
A portrait in lithograph is in the London Friends' Institute. She was a member of the Society of Friends, and conformed to their religious practice, but did not observe their restrictions in regard either to dress or to abstinence from amusements. Mrs. Elizabeth Fry
Elizabeth Fry
Elizabeth Fry , née Gurney, was an English prison reformer, social reformer and, as a Quaker, a Christian philanthropist...
was her niece. She had two sons and a daughter. Two sons were Edward Wakefield (1774-1854) and Daniel Wakefield
Daniel Wakefield
-Life:Daniel, born in 1776, was the second son of Edward Wakefield , merchant, of London, by his wife Priscilla Bell, daughter of Daniel Bell. Edward Wakefield was his elder brother...
. The daughter, Isabella (d. 17 Oct. 1841), married Jeremiah Head
Jeremiah Head
Jeremiah Head was a British mechanical engineer.He was apprenticed in 1852 at the works of Robert Stephenson and Co, Newcastle upon Tyne....
of Ipswich. Edward Gibbon Wakefield
Edward Gibbon Wakefield
Edward Gibbon Wakefield was a British politician, the driving force behind much of the early colonisation of South Australia, and later New Zealand....
was her grandson.
Works
Mrs. Wakefield was widely known as a writer of children's literatureChildren's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
. Her early publication, Juvenile Anecdotes, founded on Facts, was successful, and she went on to publish other books of the same nature, and of a more advanced character, dealing with science and travel.
Wakefield had considerable knowledge of botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, and in 1796 she published An Introduction to Botany, in a Series of Familiar Letters, London, 12mo, which was translated into French in 1801, and reached an eleventh edition in 1841. It was followed by An Introduction to the Natural History and Classification of Insects, in a Series of Letters, London, 1816, 12mo.
- Mental Improvement: Or, the Beauties and Wonders of Nature and Art, 1794
- Juvenile Anecdotes, Founded on Facts, 1795-8 Two well received volumes that went through to an eighth edition in 1825.
- 'Reflections on the Present Condition of the Female Sex, With Suggestions for Its Improvement, 1798
- The Juvenile Travellers: Containing the Remarks of A Family During a Tour Through the Principal States and Kingdoms of Europe, 1801. Her most popular work, a book of imaginative fiction that reached the nineteenth edition in 1850.
- Domestic Recreation: Or, Dialogues Illustrative of Natural and Scientific Subjects, 1805
- An Introduction to Botany, in a Series of Familiar Letters, London, 12mo
- An Introduction to the Natural History and Classification of Insects, in a Series of Letters, London, 1816, 12mo.