Esther Saville Allen (, Saville; pen names, Winnie Woodbine, Etta Saville, Mrs. S. R. Allen; December 11, 1837 - July 16, 1913) was an American author of the

long nineteenth century The ''long nineteenth century'' is a term for the 125-year period beginning with the onset of the French Revolution in 1789 and ending with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It was coined by Russian writer Ilya Ehrenburg and British Marxist his ...

. In her day, Allen was probably the author of more works, both in prose and verse, than any other woman in

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

. She died in 1913.

Biography

Esther (

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

, "Etta") Saville was born in

Honeoye, New York Honeoye ( ) is a hamlet in the Town of Richmond, in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 579 at the 2010 census, which lists the community as a census-designated place (CDP). It is located 33 miles (53 kilometers) sout ...

on December 11, 1837. Her parents were Joseph and Esther Redfern Saville, both from England. Her father contributed to British journals of his time. Before Esther Saville was ten years old, she made her first public effort in a poem, which was published. At the age of 12 years, she wrote for Morris and Willis a poem which they published in the "

Home Journal ''Town & Country'', formerly the ''Home Journal'' and ''The National Press'', is a monthly American lifestyle magazine. It is the oldest continually published general interest magazine in the United States. History Early history The magazine w ...

." While studying in

Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY i ...

and

Rushford, New York Rushford is a town in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 1,085 at the 2020 census. Rushford is in the northwest part of Allegany County and is northeast of Olean. History The first settlersEnos Gary and two of his ch ...

, she wrote and published many poems under the pen-name, "Winnie Woodbine." She became a teacher in the public schools of western New York and continued to write for

eastern Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

papers, assuming her proper name, "Etta Saville." She moved to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

in 1857 and she taught in public schools there until she married in 1859. After her marriage to Samuel R. Allen, a lawyer in

Erie, Illinois Erie is a village in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,602 at the 2010 census, up from 1,589 in 2000. It is known for its unusual layout, specifically its "town triangle". History Erie is named after Erie County, ...

, all her literary productions appeared under the name of "Mrs. S. R. Allen." In 1872, she removed to

Little Rock, Arkansas ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...

. Much of her work has been widely copied and recopied. Devoted to charity, organized and practical, her writings in that cause promoted the institution and development of useful work, or revived and reinvigorated it. She died at Little Rock, Arkansas, July 16, 1913, and was buried next to her husband in the

Little Rock National Cemetery Little Rock National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery, located approximately two miles (3 km) south-east of the Arkansas State Capitol Building, being within the city of Little Rock, and Pulaski County, Arkansas. It encompasses , ...

. At the time, she was the only woman to be buried in the local National Cemetery.

Selected works

Poems

* "The Home Coming" * "Home Again", 1908

Short stories

* "The French School"

References

Bibliography

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Esther Saville 1837 births 1913 deaths 19th-century American writers 19th-century American women writers 19th-century pseudonymous writers People from Honeoye, New York Writers from New York (state) Pseudonymous women writers Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century