Mary Spear Tiernan (, Nicholas; February 14, 1835 - January 13, 1891) was a 19th-century American writer. Her earliest contributions to literature appeared in Bledsoe's "Southern Review." Her first novel, ''Homoselle'', was the most popular and successful of the "Round Robin Series." Tiernan, encouraged with the reception with which her first novel had met, entered upon an active career, writing for "The Century" and "Harper's Magazine" and publishing two additional novels, ''Sousette'' and ''Jack Horner'', 1890. The last of these included a second edition.

Biography

Mary Spear Nicholas was born in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, February 14, 1835. She was the daughter of Elizabeth Byrd Ambler and Robert Carter Nichols. Much of Tiernan's early life was spent in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, which is depicted in her novels, ''Homoselle'', ''Suzette'', and ''Jack Horner''. She was a contributor to ''The Century'' and ''Scribner's Magazines'', and to ''Southern Review''. Her literary work was often the most interesting part of the programs of the Eight O'Clock Club, and the Woman's Literary Club, of which she was one of the founders. On July 23, 1873, she married Charles B. Tiernan, of Baltimore. She died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

on January 13, 1891 in Baltimore, and was buried in

Green Mount Cemetery Green Mount Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established on March 15, 1838, and dedicated on July 13, 1839, it is noted for the large number of historical figures interred in its grounds as well as many ...

Selected works

* ''Homoselle: a Virginia Novel'' (1881) * ''Suzette: A Novel'' (1885) * ''Jack Horner: A Novel'' (1890)

Notes

References

Attribution

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tiernan, Mary Spear 1835 births 1891 deaths 19th-century American writers 19th-century American women writers People from Baltimore Writers from Maryland Deaths from pneumonia in Maryland Burials at Green Mount Cemetery