Anna Millikin (19 January 1764 – at least 1849) was a teacher and author of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She was one of the earliest Irish women to write Gothic novels and established the literary periodical the ''Casket or Hesperian Magazine''.

Early years

Millikin was born at Castlemartyr, County Cork from an originally Quaker family. She was the daughter of Robert Millikin and Elizabeth Battaley. Her grandfather, Robert Millikin, was a Belfast linen merchant of Scottish descent. He moved to the Boyle estate at Castlemartyr. At that point, the family became members of the established church.

Career

Millikin was one of the earliest women writers of Gothic fiction. She wrote at least four books. She also founded and contributed to the literary periodical the ''Casket or Hesperian Magazine'' (Cork, 1797–98) with her brother Richard Alfred Milliken (1767-1815) who was a poet. Her subscribers of her novels included Lord Boyle, Countess Shannon, Lady Harriet Bernard of Bandon, and the Freke family. The ''Critical Review'' of January 1803 reviewed her ''Plantagenet'' novel as follows:

In these two volumes of Mrs. Millikin, are contained the marriage of William, son to Robert duke of Normandy, with a daughter of the duke of Anjou; preceded by a secret memoir of the ill treatment of the lady’s father to his rightful duchess. It will not be expected that the author has followed facts in a novel; but the work has, however, enough of the appearance of probability to make it interesting.

She was still alive in May 1849, when she made a successful application to the

Royal Literary Fund The Royal Literary Fund (RLF) is a benevolent fund that gives assistance to published British writers in financial difficulties. Founded in 1790, and granted a royal charter in 1818, the Fund has helped an extensive roll of authors through its long ...

.British Library, Royal Literary Fund Archive, Loan 96 RLF 1/1224.

Selected works

* ''Corfe Castle, or, Historic tracts'' : a novel (1793) * ''Eva, an old Irish story''. : By the authoress of Corfe Castle (1795) * ''Plantagenet; or Secrets of the House of Anjou. : A tale of the twelfth century. Vol. I-II'' (1802) * ''An epitome of ancient history :'' designed for the use of her pupils (1808)

References

External sites

Corvey Women Writers on the Web author page

Millikin, Anna
" ''The Women's Print History Project'', 2019, Person ID 1077. Accessed 2023-01-02. {{DEFAULTSORT:Millikin, Anna 1764 births 18th-century Irish writers 18th-century Irish women writers 19th-century Irish women writers 19th-century Irish writers 19th-century Irish novelists Writers of Gothic fiction Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown Irish women novelists People from County Cork