Women’s Writing in the British Isles from the Beginnings to the Present
Sir Walter Scott
-
Standard Name: Scott, Sir Walter
Birth Name: Walter Scott
Titled: Sir Walter Scott
Nickname: The Great Unknown
Used Form: author of Kenilworth
The remarkable career of Walter Scott
began with a period as a Romantic poet (the leading Romantic poet in terms of popularity) before he went on to achieve even greater popularity as a novelist, particularly for his historical fiction and Scottish national tales. His well-earned fame in both these genres of fiction has tended to create the impression that he originated them, whereas in fact women novelists had preceded him in each.
AS
had been in some kind of publishing negotiation with Constable
of Edinburgh for several years. Archibald Constable
visited her in April 1807. After this he consulted John Murray
in London, who advised him against...
Literary responses
Anna Seward
Scott
in his introduction gave a vivid description of AS
's good looks (even in old age), especially the poetical attributes of dark, flashing eyes and a melodious voice.
Ashmun, Margaret. The Singing Swan. Yale University Press; H. Milford, Oxford University Press.
253-4
The Critical Review said that...
Family and Intimate relationships
Caroline Scott
Her mother, Frances, Lady Douglas
, had had a deeply unhappy childhood, since her own mother appeared to entertain for her nothing but dislike and contempt, and treated her in a way that appears to...
Occupation
Caroline Scott
CS
became a painter and musician of some accomplishment. According to Lady Louisa Stuart
she called her drawings dark-coloured, [her] music touching, and [her] style pathetic.
Stuart, Lady Louisa, and J. Steven Watson. Memoire of Frances, Lady Douglas. Editor Rubenstein, Jill, Scottish Academic Press.
100
Three years before she was married she produced...
Education
Mary Anne Schimmelpenninck
In the house of an aunt she was surprised to find novels (particularly those of Richardson
) a topic of conversation,
Schimmelpenninck, Mary Anne. Life of Mary Anne Schimmelpenninck. Editor Hankin, Christiana C., Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, and Roberts.
1: 118
and that (in her own judgement) Fielding
and Smollett
, and various...
Textual Features
Ethel Savi
Writing of Savi's attempts to render Indian speech in English, critic Laxmi Moktali
cites Sir Walter Scott
's introduction of Indian words about food and dress, for example, as the beginning of an experiment with...
Textual Production
Vita Sackville-West
By the following year she was writing: not only a diary, and soon an extensive correspondence, but also poetry (not about adolescent feelings but about places and historical characters); long, romantic, historical novels in the...
Education
John Ruskin
Taught at home until the age of fourteen by his parents and private tutors, JR
developed his drawing, and received an education that encouraged a love of Romantic Literature (including Byron
, Wordsworth
, and...
Education
Christina Rossetti
Christina and her siblings were educated by their mother
, in reading, writing, the Bible and rudimentary French. The boys were sent to school when they were seven, while the girls continued at home. Their...
Friends, Associates
Martin Ross
She was amused at his appearance and manner: her likening him to a Walter Scott
character might particularly have displeased him. He looked a cross between a Dominie Sampson and a starved R. C. curate...
Reception
Emma Robinson
Henry Fothergill Chorley
in his Athenæum review called the novel a tale of terror and adventure, just right for Christmas reading.
The Athenæum (again in the person of Henry Chorley
, again reviewing ER
as a male author), said she was still improving. Despite the difficulties posed by handling such well-known material, in this novel the...
Textual Production
Maria Riddell
MR
penned a poem on Walter Scott
's home (at Lasswade near Melrose Abbey); this may be the last poetry that she wrote.
MacNaughton, Angus. Burns’ Mrs Riddell. A Biography. Volturna Press.
JR
's maternal great-grandfather, John Potter Lockhart
of Old Jewry, London, acquired the Genever Plantation in 1824. The plantation was at times prosperous, but problems occurred as a result of natural disasters and labour disruptions...
