Fanny Forrester (1852 – August 1889) was an English poet of Irish heritage.
Early life
Fanny Forrester was born in 1852 in
Manchester, England. She was the eldest daughter of Michael, a stonemason, and the poet
Ellen Forrester (née Magennis). Both of her parents were Irish. She had four siblings, including Arthur and Mary, who would also go on to write poetry. Her father died when Forrester was 8 years old, resulting in her mother writing to support the family. Forrester is described as being very close to her mother.
Poetry
Forrester became a factory dye-worker in
Pendleton Pendleton may refer to:
Places
;United Kingdom
*Pendleton, Lancashire, England
*Pendleton, Greater Manchester, England
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*Pendleton, Indiana
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*Pe ...
.
She published poetry in a number of periodicals, including ''
Ben Brierley's Journal'', ''
Nation'', ''Quiver'', and ''
Chamber's Journal''.
In ''Ben Brierley's Journal'' alone she published around 60 poems between 1870 and 1876,
and the journal featured an account of Forrester in 1875 with a portrait in which she is described as "one of our most popular contributors". When her mother applied for funds from 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 ...
she described her daughter as "only nineteen years of age" and has "written more than I have - and better too". Her work represents the experiences of the poor and alienated working class with themes of the urban versus the rural and at times invokes the Irish countryside.
The poems feature people on the margins of society, such as orphans, disabled people, "fallen" women, and immigrants.
Forrester's obituary on 12 August 1889 in the ''
Manchester Weekly Times
The ''Manchester Times'' was a weekly newspaper published in Manchester, England, from 1828 to 1922. It was known for its free trade radicalism.
From 1828 to 1847, the newspaper was edited by Archibald Prentice, a political radical and advocat ...
'' noted that she had an unhappy marriage, with her sister commenting that her life "was not a happy one ... Her death was sad and sudden".
Commemoration
In April 2022, her biography was published by the
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, alongside that of her mother, poet
Ellen Forrester, and brother, writer and Fenian campaigner Arthur Marshall Forrester.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forrester, Fanny
1852 births
1889 deaths
Writers from Manchester
English women poets
19th-century English women writers
19th-century English people