Mary Cowden Clarke
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was a leading nineteenth-century Shakespearean scholar, who (in collaboration with her husband,
) annotated editions, compiled a concordance, and wrote a key or encyclopaedia, and on her own account produced an anthology, a book of tales, or what would now be called prequels, about the early lives of
's female characters, and an edition that preceded the better-known one produced by her husband. She was a self-defined professional writer who translated works of musicology, edited a magazine and published poetry, articles, stories, novels, biographies, and her own autobiography.
- BirthName: Mary Victoria NovelloShe was named Victoria after her godfather, the Rev..
- Nickname: Mrs. Cowdengave this name to a persona in a dialogue who represents herself.
- Married: Cowden Clarke
- Pseudonyms: M. H.; Harry Wandsworth ShortfellowShe assumed this name because her father had once acted in amateur theatricals as Mr. Howard.
- Indexed: Clarke, Mary Cowden; Cowden-Clarke, MaryShe herself generally used the hyphenated form of both married names; many library catalogues today list her as Clarke.