Edwina Jane Burbury born Edwina Hicks (1810s – 17 February 1870) was an Irish born British writer.

Life

Burbury was born in Galway in 1818 or 1819 to Frances (born Pickering) and Edward Raymond Hicks. Her father was a soldier and her life is not recorded until she marrys a solicitor named Thomas Potter Burbury on 9 August 1841. He was four or five years older than her and they had at least seven children. She appears to have turned to writing because of finances as her husband had difficulties. She had an early success with a book written for young people titled "How to Spend a Week Happily". She wrote for Sharpe's London Magazine In 1849

Frank Smedley Francis Edward Smedley (4 October 1818 – 1 May 1864) was an England, English novelist. His name appears in print usually as Frank E. Smedley. Life He was born with deformed feet, a disability that impaired his mobility and prevented him from atte ...

arranged for a book to be produced titled "Seven Tales by Seven Authors". The authors included Smedley, Burbury and her friend

George Payne Rainsford James George Payne Rainsford James (9 August 1799 – 9 June 1860), was an English novelist and historical writer, the son of a physician in London. He was for many years British Consul at various places in the United States and on the Continent. ...

. The proceeds of the book were directed to Burbury because of her financial difficulties and she was given the copyright. The book was republished in 1860 and Smedley purchased the copyright from Burbury to allow this and Smedley explained its history in that editions introduction. She wrote a sequel to "How to Spend a Week Happily" titled, "Mabel Trevor," which was published in the early 1850s as well as her best novel "Florence Sackville". "Florence Sackville" was admired by Charlotte Bronte. By 1855 she was still short of money and

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

gave her five pounds. On 15 March 1868 her husband died and she inherited his debts. He had run off with her sister and she had to pay for her children and her sister. However she had been self sufficient financially since 1860. She died on 17 February 1870.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burbury, Edwina 1810s births 1870 deaths British women novelists Writers from County Galway 19th-century British novelists 19th-century British women writers