Caroline Fox (24 May 1819 – 12 January 1871) was an English diarist and correspondent from

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

. Her diary records memories of major writers, who include

John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 7 May 1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, Member of Parliament (MP) and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of classical liberalism, he contributed widely to ...

and

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, Dum ...

Biography

Caroline Fox was born on 24 May 1819 at Penjerrick, near Falmouth, to Robert Were Fox, an inventor, and Maria Barclay. Both were

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

. She was the younger sister of Barclay Fox, also a diarist, and of

Anna Maria Fox Anna Maria Fox (21 February 1816''Barclay Fox's journal''. See Sources above for bibliographical details. – 18 November 1897) was a promoter of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society and the artistic and cultural development of Falmouth in Corn ...

. Caroline's diaries record memories of people such as John Stuart Mill, John Sterling and Thomas Carlyle. Selections from her diary and letters (1835–1871) appeared as ''Memories of Old Friends: Caroline Fox of Penjerrick, Cornwall''. A selection from the Victorian edition appeared in 1972.''The Journals of Caroline Fox, 1835–1871: A Selection'', ed.

Wendy Monk Wendy Elizabeth Monk (19 July 1915 – 4 January 2000) was an English writer and critic. Publications as Wendy Monk John Gill of Penryn Wendy Monk wrote and published a biography of her great-grandfather, John Gill, a printer and bookbinder of ...

; London,

Paul Elek Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of his ...

, (1972) ;

ODNB The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

V. E. Chancellor, "Fox, Caroline (1819–1871)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 200
retrieved 13 June 2006
With two of her siblings, Fox helped found the Falmouth Polytechnic, later the

Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society The Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society (commonly known as The Poly) is an educational, cultural and scientific charity, as well as a local arts and cinema venue, based in Falmouth, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The Society exists to promot ...

. Caroline Fox died on 12 January 1871 at Penjerrick and was buried at a Quaker cemetery in Budock.

Biography

Notes and references

Further reading