Mary Linskill (13 December 1840 – 9 April 1891) was an English novelist, short-story writer and poet. She became especially popular in her native

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

, whose landscape and scenery became a hallmark of her work.

Childhood

Mary Linskill was born on 13 December 1840 in

Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...

. She was the daughter of Mary Ann and Thomas Linskill. At the age of 11, Linskill's school education ended and she went to work for Charles James and learnt the

millinery Hat-making or millinery is the design, manufacture and sale of hats and other headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner or hatter. Historically, milliners, typically women shopkeepers, produced or imported an inventory of g ...

trade.

Career

Mary Linskill moved with her mother into a small cottage near Newholme village. There she crafted many of her literary pieces. She went on to work in places such as Manchester and Newcastle, and later became qualified to become a schoolteacher in Hawksworth. She then served as a governess in

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

. Many of Linskill's early writings, such as ''Tales of North Riding'' in 1871, appeared under the pseudonym "Stephen York" in ''

Good Words ''Good Words'' was a 19th-century monthly periodical established in the United Kingdom in 1860 by the Scottish publisher Alexander Strahan. Its first editor was Norman Macleod. After his death in 1872, it was edited by his brother, Donald Macleod ...

'' magazine. Three of her major novels were ''Between the Heather and the Northern Sea'' (1884), ''The Haven under the Hill'' (1886) and ''In Exchange for a Soul'' (1887). Having moved away from Whitby earlier in life, Linskill had to return on her father's death, as her siblings and mother were left impoverished. The turbulent and noisy life in Whitby posed a challenge to a writer who preferred a peaceful and solemn environment. However, the seaport had influences on her writings. In general, portrayal of Yorkshire landscape and scenery became a distinguishing mark of her works.

Death

Linskill died on 9 April 1891 at the age of 50, at her Spring Vale home in Whitby. A monument in her honour stands in the parish churchyard and her remains are buried in Whitby Cemetery.

Selected works

Novels

*''Tales of North Riding'', 1871. Bibliolife. *''The Haven Under the Hill'', 1886. RareBooksClub.com. *''Cleveden'', 1892. Caedmon of Whitby. *''In Exchange for a Soul'', 1887. Nabu Press.

Short stories

*''Raith Wyke'', 1874 *''Carl Forrest's Faith'', 1883 *''The Magic Flute'', 1884 *''A Lost Son'', 1885 *''The Glover's Daughter'', 1885 *''A Garden of Seven Lilies'', 1886 *''Hagar: A North Yorkshire Pastoral'', 1887 *''Robert Holt's Illusion'', 1888

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Linskill, Mary 1840 births 1891 deaths 19th-century English poets 19th-century English women writers People from Whitby