The Skeleton Count, or The Vampire Mistress
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The Skeleton Count, or The Vampire Mistress (1828
) by Elizabeth Caroline Grey
is alleged by anthologist Peter Haining
to be the first vampire story written and published by a woman. Haining claims that it was first published in the English weekly paper The Casket in 1828 (no relation to other magazines of the same name) and that a collector brought him the only known copy of the story. No other editors have included the story in collections of vampire tales, and the provenance of the tale is suspect. Haining has espoused controversial literary positions before, most recently involving the alleged historicity of the popular penny-dreadful "Sweeney Todd." Grey, a prolific author of so-called "silver fork" novels for women, is an unlikely author of such a story and many stories of the type have been falsely attributed to her. Until hard evidence is forthcoming, her authorship is at best unproven. Indeed, there is no real evidence of the existence of "The Casket" magazine in which Haining claimed it appeared, along with other Gothic horror.
1828 in literature
The year 1828 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The first volume of John James Audubon's 10-volume The Birds of America is published....
) by Elizabeth Caroline Grey
Elizabeth Caroline Grey
Elizabeth Caroline Grey , aka Mrs. Colonel Grey or Mrs. Grey, was a prolific English author of over 30 romance novels, silver fork novels, Gothic novels, sensation fiction and penny dreadfuls, active between the 1820s and 1867...
is alleged by anthologist Peter Haining
Peter Haining
Peter Alexander Haining was a British journalist, author and anthologist who lived and worked in Suffolk...
to be the first vampire story written and published by a woman. Haining claims that it was first published in the English weekly paper The Casket in 1828 (no relation to other magazines of the same name) and that a collector brought him the only known copy of the story. No other editors have included the story in collections of vampire tales, and the provenance of the tale is suspect. Haining has espoused controversial literary positions before, most recently involving the alleged historicity of the popular penny-dreadful "Sweeney Todd." Grey, a prolific author of so-called "silver fork" novels for women, is an unlikely author of such a story and many stories of the type have been falsely attributed to her. Until hard evidence is forthcoming, her authorship is at best unproven. Indeed, there is no real evidence of the existence of "The Casket" magazine in which Haining claimed it appeared, along with other Gothic horror.