Elizabeth Meeke (13 November 1761 – c. October 1826) was a prolific English author, translator and children's writer, and the stepsister of

Frances Burney Frances Burney (13 June 1752 – 6 January 1840), also known as Fanny Burney and later Madame d'Arblay, was an English satirical novelist, diarist and playwright. In 1786–1790 she held the post as "Keeper of the Robes" to Charlotte of Mecklen ...

. She wrote about 30 novels, published by the

Minerva Press Minerva Press was a publishing house, noted for creating a lucrative market in sentimental and Gothic fiction in the late 18th century and early 19th century. It was established by William Lane (c. 1745–1814) at No 33 Leadenhall Street, Lon ...

in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Identity

The novels appeared mainly under the name Mrs. Meeke, sometimes under the pseudonym Gabrielli, and a few anonymously. Their author was once assumed to be Mary Meeke, the wife of a Staffordshire vicar, but "Mrs. Meeke" was conclusively identified as Elizabeth Meeke in an article by Simon Macdonald in 2013. She is thought to have died in about October 1826.

Fiction

Meeke's debut novel was ''Count St Blanchard'' in 1795. Others include ''The Abbey of Clugny'', ''The Mysterious Wife'', ''Anecdotes of the Altamont Family'' and ''Which is the Man?'' Her works include several translations from French, such as ''Elizabeth, or the Exiles of Siberia''. The third edition of Chamber's ''Cyclopaedia of English Literature'' in 1903 disparaged her work:

Bibliography

Novels

*''Count St. Blancard, or the Prejudiced Judge'' (1795) *''The Abbey of Clugny'' (1795) *''Palmira and Ermance'' (1797) *''The Mysterious Wife'' (as by Gabrielli) (1797) *''The Sicilian'' (anonymous) (1798) *''Harcourt'' (anonymous) (1799) *''Ellesmere'' (1799) *''Anecdotes of the Altamont Family'' (anonymous) (1800) *''Which is the Man?'' (1801) *''The Mysterious Husband'' (as by Gabrielli) (1801) *''Midnight Weddings'' (1802) *''Independence'' (as by Gabrielli) (1802) *''Amazement!'' (1804) *''The Old Wife and the Young Husband'' (1804) *''The Nine Days' Wonder'' (1804) *''Something Odd!'' (anonymous) (1804) *''The Wonder of the Village'' (anonymous) (1805) *''Something Strange'' (as by Gabrielli) (1806) *''"There Is a Secret, Find It Out!"'' (1808) *''Langhton Priory'' (as by Gabrielli) (1809) *''Stratagems Defeated'' (as by Gabrielli) (1811) *''Matrimony, the Height of Bliss or Extreme of Misery'' (1811) *''Conscience'' (1814) *''Spanish Campaigns, or The Jew'' (1815) *''The Veiled Protectress, or the Mysterious Mother'' (1818) *''What Shall Be, Shall Be'' (1823)

Translations

*''A Tale of Mystery, or Celina,'' by François Guillaume Ducray-Duminil (1803) *''Lobenstein Village'', by

August Lafontaine August Heinrich Julius Lafontaine (5 October 1758 – 20 April 1831) was a German novelist. Biography Lafontaine was born and brought up in Brunswick, the son of the court painter Ludolph Lafontaine and his fifth wife, the court maid-in-waitin ...

(1804) *''Julian, or, My Father's House'', by François Guillaume Ducray-Duminil (1807) *''The Unpublished Correspondence of

Madame du Deffand Marie Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise du Deffand (25 September 1696 – 23 September 1780) was a French hostess and patron of the arts. Life Madame du Deffand was born at the Château de Chamrond, in Ligny-en-Brionnais, a village near Charolle ...

'' (1810) *''Messiah'', by

Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (; 2 July 1724 – 14 March 1803) was a German poet. His best known work is the epic poem ''Der Messias'' ("The Messiah"). One of his major contributions to German literature was to open it up to exploration outside ...

(with Mary Collyer) (1811) *'' Elizabeth, or, the Exiles of Siberia'', by Sophie Ristaud Cottin (1817)

Children's books

*''The Birth-Day Present'' *''Mamma's Gift'' *''The Parent's Offering to a Good Child''

References

Sources

External links

*
Corvey CW3 - Author Page - Mary Meeke
at Sheffield Hallam University (based on

Corvey The Princely Abbey of Corvey (german: link=no, Fürststift Corvey or Fürstabtei Corvey) is a former Benedictine abbey and ecclesiastical principality now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was one of the half-dozen self-ruling '' princel ...

collection) {{DEFAULTSORT:Meeke, Mary 1761 births 1826 deaths 19th-century English novelists English women novelists 19th-century English women writers 19th-century British writers