Hannah Mary Rathbone
Encyclopedia
Hannah Mary Rathbone was an English writer, authoress of The Diary of Lady Willoughby.
in Shropshire
on 5 July 1798. Her grandfather was Richard Reynolds (1735–1816) In 1817 Hannah Mary Reynolds married her half-cousin, Richard Rathbone
, a son of William Rathbone, By him she had six children.
Although during the greater part of her married life Mrs. Rathbone's health was delicate, she sedulously cultivated her fine natural faculties. Her early training in drawing and painting she specially applied to minute work, and she excelled in illuminating on vellum from old manuscript designs. She contributed a series of charming designs of small birds to The Poetry of Birds (Liverpool, 1832, 4to), and about the same time published a selection of pen-and-ink drawings from Pinelli's etchings of Italian peasantry. Later in life she took to landscape in water-colours. In 1840 she made her first modest literary venture by publishing a collection of pieces in verse entitled Childhood, some of which were from her own hand; and in 1841 there followed Selections from the Poets.
So much of the Diary of Lady Willoughby, as relates to her Domestic History, and to the Eventful Period of the Reign of Charles the First, the work which gained celebrity for its authoress, was published anonymously in 1844; a second and a third edition following in 1845, and a New York edition in the same year. Influenced by her father's tastes, she had read many histories and memoirs of the Civil war and adjacent periods, and her publisher (Thomas Longman) took great pride in bringing out the Diary as an exact reproduction of a book of the seventeenth century, in which it was supposed to be written. He had a new fount specially cast at the Chiswick Press. In some quarters the Diary was at once accepted as genuine; in others, author and publisher incurred indignant reproof as having conspired in an intentional deception. Readers speculated on the identity of the writer; and Robert Southey
, Lord John Manners
, and Mr. John Murray were in turn suggested. In the third edition the publishers and author inserted a joint note avowing the real character of the book. In 1847 Mrs. Rathbone issued a sequel under the title Some further Portions of the Diary of Lady Willoughby which do relate to her Domestic History and to the Events of the latter Years of the Reign of King Charles the First, the Protectorate, and the Revolution. The two parts were in 1848 republished together. The general excellence of Mrs. Rathbone's workmanship, when she is at her best, becomes most clearly evident if Lady Willoughby's Diary is compared with Anne Manning
's Life of Mary Powell (1850), which manifestly owed its origin to the success of the earlier work, but is altogether inferior to it.
In 1852 Mrs. Rathbone published the Letters of Richard Reynolds, her paternal grandfather, with an unpretending 'Memoir'. In 1858 she printed a short series of poems called The Strawberry Girl, with other Thoughts and Fancies in Verse. She died at Liverpool on 26 March 1878.
Life
Hannah Reynolds, a daughter of Joseph Reynolds by his wife Deborah Dearman, was born near WellingtonWellington, Shropshire
Wellington is a town in the unitary authority of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England and now forms part of the new town of Telford. The population of the parish of Wellington was recorded as 20,430 in the 2001 census, making it the third largest town in Shropshire if...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
on 5 July 1798. Her grandfather was Richard Reynolds (1735–1816) In 1817 Hannah Mary Reynolds married her half-cousin, Richard Rathbone
Richard Rathbone
Richard Rathbone was a member of the noted Rathbone family of Liverpool in England. He was the second son of William Rathbone IV. Richard was a commission merchant, setting up in partnership with his brother, William Rathbone V in 1809.He retired in 1835...
, a son of William Rathbone, By him she had six children.
Although during the greater part of her married life Mrs. Rathbone's health was delicate, she sedulously cultivated her fine natural faculties. Her early training in drawing and painting she specially applied to minute work, and she excelled in illuminating on vellum from old manuscript designs. She contributed a series of charming designs of small birds to The Poetry of Birds (Liverpool, 1832, 4to), and about the same time published a selection of pen-and-ink drawings from Pinelli's etchings of Italian peasantry. Later in life she took to landscape in water-colours. In 1840 she made her first modest literary venture by publishing a collection of pieces in verse entitled Childhood, some of which were from her own hand; and in 1841 there followed Selections from the Poets.
So much of the Diary of Lady Willoughby, as relates to her Domestic History, and to the Eventful Period of the Reign of Charles the First, the work which gained celebrity for its authoress, was published anonymously in 1844; a second and a third edition following in 1845, and a New York edition in the same year. Influenced by her father's tastes, she had read many histories and memoirs of the Civil war and adjacent periods, and her publisher (Thomas Longman) took great pride in bringing out the Diary as an exact reproduction of a book of the seventeenth century, in which it was supposed to be written. He had a new fount specially cast at the Chiswick Press. In some quarters the Diary was at once accepted as genuine; in others, author and publisher incurred indignant reproof as having conspired in an intentional deception. Readers speculated on the identity of the writer; and Robert Southey
Robert Southey
Robert Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the so-called "Lake Poets", and Poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 to his death in 1843...
, Lord John Manners
John Manners, 7th Duke of Rutland
|-...
, and Mr. John Murray were in turn suggested. In the third edition the publishers and author inserted a joint note avowing the real character of the book. In 1847 Mrs. Rathbone issued a sequel under the title Some further Portions of the Diary of Lady Willoughby which do relate to her Domestic History and to the Events of the latter Years of the Reign of King Charles the First, the Protectorate, and the Revolution. The two parts were in 1848 republished together. The general excellence of Mrs. Rathbone's workmanship, when she is at her best, becomes most clearly evident if Lady Willoughby's Diary is compared with Anne Manning
Anne Manning
Anne Manning was a British novelist. Born in London, England, Manning was an active writer during the Victorian age, having 51 works to her credit. Her writings have much literary charm, and show a delicate historical imaginationManning initially produced two books of non-fiction, followed by...
's Life of Mary Powell (1850), which manifestly owed its origin to the success of the earlier work, but is altogether inferior to it.
In 1852 Mrs. Rathbone published the Letters of Richard Reynolds, her paternal grandfather, with an unpretending 'Memoir'. In 1858 she printed a short series of poems called The Strawberry Girl, with other Thoughts and Fancies in Verse. She died at Liverpool on 26 March 1878.