Amelia Opie

12 November 1769 - 02 December 1853

Standard Name: Opie, Amelia

Birth Name: Amelia Alderson

Married Name: Amelia Opie

Pseudonym: N.

AO , who was publishing at the end of the eighteenth century and during the earlier nineteenth century, is best known as a novelist, but was also a dramatist, poet, and short-story writer. The opinions expressed in her writings are often reactionary in gender terms, though she was brought up a Unitarian and later became a Quaker and an active Abolitionist.

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Connections

Connections Sort descending	Author name	Excerpt
Education	Annabella Plumptre	As an adult AP was reported by Amelia Opie to be a homebody laudably attentive to her studies, in contrast with her flightier sister Anne. Matthew, Henry Colin Gray, Brian Harrison, and Lawrence Goldman, editors. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Education	Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon	Her aunt Julia was a great influence on BLSB , who through her met Harriet Martineau , Mary Somerville , and Amelia Opie .
Education	Elizabeth Barrett Browning	EBB 's early immersion in fairy stories and popular tales was followed by a more ambitious course of reading that began around the age of seven with history, classical poetry, and some of Shakespeare 's...
Friends, Associates	Mary Russell Mitford	She knew most of the literary women of her day, including Felicia Hemans (who wrote to ask her for an autograph), L’Estrange, Alfred Guy Kingham, editor. The Friendships of Mary Russell Mitford as Recorded in Letters from Her Literary Correspondents. Hurst and Blackett, 1882. 1: 173-4 Jane Porter , Amelia Opie (that warm-hearted person), Mitford, Mary Russell. The Life of Mary Russell Mitford: Told by Herself in Letters To Her Friends. L’Estrange, Alfred Guy KinghamEditor , Harper and Brothers, 1870. 2: 213
Friends, Associates	Lucy Aikin	In her memoirs LA claims to have been acquainted with all the notable literary women of her time. She was a close friend of Joanna Baillie and Elizabeth Ogilvy Benger . Another important friend and...
Friends, Associates	Eliza Fletcher	Hamilton, herself a conservative, set about de-demonizing EF 's political reputation. She had good success in persuading her friends that Mrs Fletcher was not the ferocious Democrat she had been represented, and that she neither...
Friends, Associates	Helen Maria Williams	On her return to Paris after Robespierre's death, HMW and Stone lived in a house (where she held her salon) on the Quai Malaquais. After peace was announced between England and France in 1801...
Friends, Associates	Matilda Charlotte Houstoun	In later years MCH continued to maintain relations with several significant literary figures. She was once visited by Frances Trollope , whom she described as A genial, natural woman, not especially refined, but far too...
Friends, Associates	Annabella Plumptre	The earliest friend associated with AP and her elder sister in literature and politics was Amelia Alderson (later Opie) . Plumptre, Anne. “Introduction”. Something New, edited by Deborah McLeod, Broadview, 1996, p. vii - xxix. ix-x
Friends, Associates	Anna Eliza Bray	This brief marriage brought Anna Eliza a number of literary friendships: with Sir Walter Scott , Amelia Opie , Letitia Elizabeth Landon , John Murray , Robert Southey , and later with Southey's second wife,...
Friends, Associates	Annabella Plumptre	On that November date Annabella made an attempt, by letter, to bring together their friend Amelia Alderson (later Opie) with Mary Hays . (Anne had already written to the same purpose in March, but not...
Friends, Associates	Henry Peter, Baron Brougham	Brougham had a number of friends among women writers. He was at primary school in Edinburgh with Susan Ferrier (who, however, declined to acknowledge him later, probably for political reasons). His political work brought him...
Friends, Associates	Anne Plumptre	The earliest friend associated with AP and her sister Bell in literature and politics was Amelia Alderson (later Opie) . Plumptre, Anne. “Introduction”. Something New, edited by Deborah McLeod, Broadview, 1996, p. vii - xxix. ix-x
Friends, Associates	Anne Plumptre	Their friends included Eliza Fenwick , Helen Maria Williams , Susannah Taylor , Mary Hays , Amelia Opie , Thomas Holcroft , John Thelwall , and other radicals. AP supported Thelwall's local electioneering, and Ann Jebb
Friends, Associates	Lady Caroline Lamb	LCL 's friendships with women writers (besides Morgan) would surprise anyone not taking her seriously as a writer. When Germaine de Staël visited England, Lady Caroline was delighted to find her wearing a hat with...

Timeline

4 April 1788

At about the time that he lost his religious faith, William Godwin began keeping a diary, which he continued almost daily until 26 March 1836, only two weeks before he died.

After 1 February 1793

An organisation calling itself the Friends of Peace began campaigning in tracts and pamphlets against the war with France (declared on this day).

June 1793

An enterprising printer and freemason, John Wharlton Bunney , put out the first number of The Free-Mason's Magazine, or General and Complete Library.

1 April 1819

The Peace Society (founded in 1816) began publishing a periodical, The Herald of Peace.

1868

Emily Taylor (1795-18), who is remembered for books connected with her school-teaching career, published Memories of some Contemporary Poets, with Selections from their Writings, with a good representation of women among her subjects (from...

February 1895

Grant Allen published his best-selling novel entitled The Woman Who Did; it was Keynotes Series no. 8.

May 1992

The Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century British Women Writers Association held its first annual conference. Thereafter the conference was held at a different American location each year.

Parker, Pamela Corpron. “A Conference of Our Own: on the 20th Anniversary of the BWWA”. The Female Spectator, No. 1, p. 6.