Elizabeth Louisa Moresby
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Louisa Moresby (1862 – 3 January 1931) was a British-born novelist who became the first prolific, female fantasy writer in Canada
.
The daughter of the Royal Navy Captain John Moresby
, Elizabeth Louisa Moresby lived and traveled widely in the East, in Egypt
, India
, China
, Tibet
and Japan
but settled eventually in Victoria
, British Columbia
, Canada
in 1919.
Moresby was already sixty years old by the time she started writing her novels, which commonly had an oriental setting, and then became a prolific author. She wrote under various pseudonyms, depending on the genre. As Louis Moresby, she wrote nonfiction, including a history of Egypt
. As E. Barrington, she wrote historical romances, including a tale of Napoleon
and Josephine
(1927). As Lily Adams Beck, she wrote stories set in Asia and influenced by Oriental philosophy and religion. She was also known as Elizabeth Louisa Beck, Eliza Louisa Moresby Beck and Lily Moresby Adams. She was a staunch Buddhist and strict vegetarian, highly critical of the materialism of the West.
According to the historian Charles Lillard, she was also a distinguished writer of esoteric works such as The Story of Oriental Philosophy (1928) and The Splendor of Asia (1926) which attempted to interpret the life and teachings of Buddha
. Her romance entitled The House of Fulfillment: The Romance of a Soul (1927) incorporates some of the Indian philosophy
of the Upanishads to explain supernatural phenomena.
She began her career by publishing stories in The Atlantic Monthly
, Asia, and the Japanese Gassho. These were gathered into a popular collection in 1926.
Now sometimes associated with the rise of Theosophy
, Lily Adams Beck continued to write fantastical novels of faraway places until her death in 1931, in Kyoto
, Japan
. She wrote most of her 30-odd books in Victoria in less than ten years.
It includes The Ninth Vibration and The Interpreter........
This book can sometimes be found catalogued as published in year 1923. See, for instance, the Catalogue of the British Library
entry...
It includes The Openers of the Gate, Lord Killary, How Felicity Came Home, Waste Manor, The Mystery of Iniquity, Many Waters Cannot Quench Love, The Horoscope, The Thug, Hell, The Man Who Saw.
| first=
| year=1927
| title=The House of Fulfillment. The Romance of a Soul
| place =London
| publisher =T. Fisher Unwin
| pages=
| isbn =
}}...
| first=
| year=1929
| title=The Laughing Queen. A Romance of Cleopatra.
| place =
| publisher =Dodd, Mead & Co.
| pages=
| isbn =
}}.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The daughter of the Royal Navy Captain John Moresby
John Moresby
Captain John Moresby was a British Naval Officer who explored the coast of New Guinea and discovered the site of Port Moresby.Moresby was born in Allerford, Somerset, England, the son of Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby...
, Elizabeth Louisa Moresby lived and traveled widely in the East, in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
but settled eventually in Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1919.
Moresby was already sixty years old by the time she started writing her novels, which commonly had an oriental setting, and then became a prolific author. She wrote under various pseudonyms, depending on the genre. As Louis Moresby, she wrote nonfiction, including a history of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. As E. Barrington, she wrote historical romances, including a tale of Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
and Josephine
Joséphine de Beauharnais
Joséphine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napoléon Bonaparte, and thus the first Empress of the French. Her first husband Alexandre de Beauharnais had been guillotined during the Reign of Terror, and she had been imprisoned in the Carmes prison until her release five days after Alexandre's...
(1927). As Lily Adams Beck, she wrote stories set in Asia and influenced by Oriental philosophy and religion. She was also known as Elizabeth Louisa Beck, Eliza Louisa Moresby Beck and Lily Moresby Adams. She was a staunch Buddhist and strict vegetarian, highly critical of the materialism of the West.
According to the historian Charles Lillard, she was also a distinguished writer of esoteric works such as The Story of Oriental Philosophy (1928) and The Splendor of Asia (1926) which attempted to interpret the life and teachings of Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
. Her romance entitled The House of Fulfillment: The Romance of a Soul (1927) incorporates some of the Indian philosophy
Indian philosophy
India has a rich and diverse philosophical tradition dating back to ancient times. According to Radhakrishnan, the earlier Upanisads constitute "...the earliest philosophical compositions of the world."...
of the Upanishads to explain supernatural phenomena.
She began her career by publishing stories in The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
, Asia, and the Japanese Gassho. These were gathered into a popular collection in 1926.
Now sometimes associated with the rise of Theosophy
Theosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
, Lily Adams Beck continued to write fantastical novels of faraway places until her death in 1931, in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. She wrote most of her 30-odd books in Victoria in less than ten years.
As Lily Adams Beck
.It includes The Ninth Vibration and The Interpreter........
This book can sometimes be found catalogued as published in year 1923. See, for instance, the Catalogue of the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
entry...
It includes The Openers of the Gate, Lord Killary, How Felicity Came Home, Waste Manor, The Mystery of Iniquity, Many Waters Cannot Quench Love, The Horoscope, The Thug, Hell, The Man Who Saw.
As E. Barrington
......| first=
| year=1927
| title=The House of Fulfillment. The Romance of a Soul
| place =London
| publisher =T. Fisher Unwin
| pages=
| isbn =
}}...
| first=
| year=1929
| title=The Laughing Queen. A Romance of Cleopatra.
| place =
| publisher =Dodd, Mead & Co.
| pages=
| isbn =
}}.