Margaret Louisa Woods (née Bradley; 20 November 1855 – 1 December 1945) was an English writer, known for novels and for her lyrical and socially conscious poetry.

Life

She was born in Rugby, the daughter of the scholar George Granville Bradley, an academic and senior priest, who served as Dean of Westminster from 1881 to 1902. Her sister was the writer Mabel Birchenough. In 1879 she married

Henry George Woods Henry George Woods (16 June 1842 – 19 July 1915) was an Anglican clergyman and academic. He was President of Trinity College, Oxford, from 1887 to 1897 and Master of the Temple from 1904 to 1915. Early life Woods was born on 16 June 1842 in Woo ...

, who became President of Trinity College, Oxford, and

Master of the Temple The Temple Church is a Royal peculiar church in the City of London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. It was consecrated on 10 February 1185 by Patriarch Heraclius of Je ...

. There were three sons. Margaret died at her home, Vine Cottage, in Thursley, Surrey. Her ashes are interred with her husband, at

Holywell Cemetery Holywell Cemetery is next to St Cross Church in Oxford, England. The cemetery is behind the church in St Cross Road, south of Holywell Manor on Manor Road and north of Longwall Street, in the parish of Holywell. History In the mid 19th centu ...

, Oxford.

Novels

''Esther Vanhomrigh'', is a historical romance inspired by the life of the Irish poet Esther Vanhomrigh, the lover and correspondent of Jonathan Swift. ''The Vagabonds'' is an exploration of male perceptions of women. There are three novels set in Spain at the time of the Peninsular War (''Sons of the Sword, The King's Revoke, The Spanish Lady''). ''A Poet's Youth'' is a portrayal of William Wordsworth. Her most unusual novel, ''The Invader'', is a fantasy about a young female scholar (one of the earliest women students accepted by Oxford University), who is possessed by the spirit of a similar fore-bearer.Thomas Stuart. ''Margaret Louisa Woods (née Bradley)'' (2021)
/ref> *''A Village Tragedy'' (1889) *'' Esther Vanhomrigh'' (1891) *''Sons of the Sword'' (1901) *''The King's Revoke'' (1905) *''The Invader'' (1907) *''A Poet's Youth'' (1923) * ''The Spanish Lady'' (1927)

Other writing

Verse collections

*''Lyrics and Ballads'' (1889) *''Aeromancy'' (1896) *''Songs'' (1896) *''Poems Old and New'' (1907) *''Collected Poems'' (1913) *''The Return and Other Poems'' (1921)

Poetic drama

* ''Wild Justice'' (1896) * ''The Princess of Hanover'' (1902)

Juvenile fiction

*''Come Unto These Yellow Sands'' (1915), illustrated by J. Hancock.

Travel

* ''Pastels under the Southenn Cross'' (1911)

References

External links

* * * * 1855 births 1945 deaths English women poets English women novelists 19th-century English novelists 19th-century English poets 19th-century English women writers 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English poets 20th-century English women writers Burials at Holywell Cemetery {{UK-writer-stub