Elizabeth Lachlan (''née'' Appleton; 1790 – 8 September 1849) was a British writer and education advocate. Born in
Bristol, she moved with her family to London and spent some time in Europe, before returning to become a governess to aristocratic families including that of
Lord Leven
Earl of Leven (pronounced "''Lee''-ven") is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1641 for Alexander Leslie. He was succeeded by his grandson Alexander, who was in turn followed by his daughters Margaret and Catherine (who are usu ...
. In 1815, she wrote her first book on education, drawing on the ideas of
Sarah Trimmer, building a strong reputation. Appleton went on to found a school for young ladies, was consulted in the education of
Princess Charlotte and was possibly asked to act as governess for
Princess Victoria.
Biography
Elizabeth Appleton was born in 1790, in Castle Street in Bristol. Her father had a strong affinity for music and spent much of the family's fortune on furthering that interest. Believing his son, Appleton's eldest brother, to be a musical prodigy, he moved the family to London and found himself work at the
Kidbrook Park estate. Appleton's brother died before realising his musical potential, and her father died soon after in 1802.
Appleton had a sporadic education, as a charity student in one school and then a day pupil in another. She eventually became interested in becoming a teacher. At the age of 14, she spent some time in France with her
governess
A governess is a largely obsolete term for a woman employed as a private tutor, who teaches and trains a child or children in their home. A governess often lives in the same residence as the children she is teaching. In contrast to a nanny, th ...
and in 1811, following an argument with her mother, she spent three years on the continent.
On her return to England, Appleton became a governess for highborn families including the
9th Earl of Leven. In 1815, she wrote her first book, ''Private Education, or, A Practical Plan for the Studies of Young Ladies: with an address to parents, private governesses, and young ladies''. She dedicated the book to the Countess of Leven.
In 1825, Appleton married John Lachlan, a clergyman, buying him an
advowson. Over the next few years, the Lachlans suffered severe financial hardships, which started with the bankruptcy of her uncle. In 1832, John moved to
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.[cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...]
.
Works on education
Appleton wrote about the education of young ladies and her views followed those of
Sarah Trimmer's, that ladies should have a thorough education on subjects such as geography and astronomy, as well as a clear understanding of morality and religion. Her books gave practical systems to help those who wanted to follow this style of education, with methodologies for different age groups and abilities, and recommended reading texts to help. She also advocated better pay and pensions for women who entered the field of education.
In 1822, Appleton set up a school for young ladies in
Portland Place
Portland Place is a street in the Marylebone district of central London. Named after the Third Duke of Portland, the unusually wide street is home to BBC Broadcasting House, the Chinese and Polish embassies, the Royal Institute of British A ...
, London, and by 1825 she was earning £4,000 per year () from it. Appleton had written a number of educational texts by this point, had been consulted on the education of
Princess Charlotte and supposedly even asked to be governess for
Princess Victoria.
Selected works
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lachlan, Elizabeth
1790 births
1849 deaths
Writers from Bristol
Education activists
English governesses
19th-century English women writers