Mary Louisa Molesworth, ''née'' Stewart (29 May 1839 – 20 January 1921) was an English writer of children's stories who wrote for children under the name of Mrs Molesworth. Her first novels, for adult readers, ''Lover and Husband'' (1869) to ''Cicely'' (1874), appeared under the pseudonym of Ennis Graham. Her name occasionally appears in print as M. L. S. Molesworth.

Life

She was born in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte (river), Rotte'') is the second largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the Prov ...

, a daughter of Charles Augustus Stewart (1809–1873) who later became a rich merchant in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

and his wife Agnes Janet Wilson (1810–1883). Mary had three brothers and two sisters. She was educated in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

and

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

: much of her girlhood was spent in Manchester. In 1861 she married Major R. Molesworth, nephew of

Viscount Molesworth Viscount Molesworth, of Swords in the County of Dublin, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1716 for Robert Molesworth. He was made Lord Molesworth, Baron of Philipstown, of King's County, at the same time, also in the Peerage ...

; they legally separated in 1879. She lived for an early part of her marriage in Tabley Grange, outside Knutsford in Cheshire, rented from George, 2nd Lord de Tabley. Mrs Molesworth is best known as a writer of books for the young, such as '' Tell Me a Story'' (1875), ''Carrots'' (1876), '' The Cuckoo Clock'' (1877), '' The Tapestry Room'' (1879), and ''

A Christmas Child A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes ...

'' (1880). She has been called "the

Jane Austen Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...

of the nursery," while ''

The Carved Lions ''The Carved Lions'' (1895) is a book by British author Mary Louisa Molesworth (Mrs. Molesworth). The book was first published by Macmillan and Company, London. Plot The story features the interaction between the children of the household ...

'' (1895) "is probably her masterpiece." In the judgement of

Roger Lancelyn Green Roger Gilbert Lancelyn Green (2 November 1918 – 8 October 1987) was a British biographer and children's writer. He was an Oxford academic who formed part of the Inklings literary discussion group along with C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkie ...

: Typical of the time, her young child characters often use a lisping style, and words may be misspelt to represent children's speech—"jography" for geography, for instance. She took an interest in supernatural fiction. In 1888, she published a collection of supernatural tales under the title ''Four Ghost Stories,'' and in 1896 a similar collection of six tales under the title ''Uncanny Tales.'' In addition to those, her volume ''Studies and Stories'' includes a ghost story entitled "Old Gervais" and her ''Summer Stories for Boys and Girls'' includes "Not exactly a ghost story." A new edition of ''The Cuckoo Clock'' was published in 1914. She died in 1921 and is buried in

Brompton Cemetery Brompton Cemetery (originally the West of London and Westminster Cemetery) is a London cemetery, managed by The Royal Parks, in West Brompton in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries. Establ ...

, London.

References in other works

Siegfried Sassoon Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both describ ...

mentions ''The Palace in the Garden'' and ''Four Winds Farm'' as being 'almost' his favourite books by means of his 1928

autobiographical novel An autobiographical novel is a form of novel using autofiction techniques, or the merging of autobiographical and fictive elements. The literary technique is distinguished from an autobiography or memoir by the stipulation of being fiction. Bec ...

'' Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man''. *

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fiction ...

mentions ''The Tapestry Room'' and ''Four Winds Farm'' in her novel '' Postern of Fate'', as childhood favourites of her detectives Tommy and Tuppence. * In ''The Whirling Shapes'' by Joan North, ''Two Little Waifs'' by Mrs. Molesworth is mentioned as a book (Great-)Aunt Hilda was given by her father on her eighth birthday.

Works

* ''Jack, Dick and Bob: The Three Jackdaws from Hurstmonceaux'', as by E.G. (1865?) – 1875, * ''Lover and Husband: A Novel'', as by Ennis Graham (1870) * ''Not Without Thorns'', as Graham (1873) * ''Cicely: A Story of Three Years'', as Graham (1874) * ''Tell Me a Story'', as Graham (1875) – collection * ''"Carrots": Just a Little Boy'', as Graham (1876) * ''The Cuckoo Clock'', as Graham, illustrated by

Walter Crane Walter Crane (15 August 184514 March 1915) was an English artist and book illustrator. He is considered to be the most influential, and among the most prolific, children's book creators of his generation and, along with Randolph Caldecott and Ka ...

(1877) * ''Hathercourt Rectory'', 3 vols (March 1878) – as by 'Mrs. Molesworth ("Ennis Graham")' * ''"Grandmother Dear": A Book for Boys and Girls'', illus. Crane (1878) * ''The Tapestry Room: A Child's Romance'', illus. Crane (1879) * ''A Christmas Child: A Sketch of a Boy-Life'' (1880) * Miss Bouverie: A novel (1880) * The adventures of Herr Baby (1881) * Rosy (1882) * ''Summer Stories for Boys and Girls'' (1882) – 5 tales in a frame story * The Boys and I: A child's story for children (1883) * Two little waifs (1883) * Christmas-tree land (1886) * "Us": an old-fashioned story (1886) * ''Four Winds Farm'' (1887) * Little Miss Peggy: Only a Nursery Story (1887) * The Palace in the Garden (1887) * ''A Christmas Posy'' (1888) * ''Four Ghost Stories'' (1888) – collection of 4 * French life in letters (1889) * The rectory children (1889) * Neighbours (1889, also by Mary Ellen Edwards) * ''The Children of the Castle'' (1890), * ''The Green Casket, and Other Stories'' (1890) * Family troubles (1890) * Imogen : or, Only eighteen (1890s) * Robin Redbreast : a story for girls (1890s) * ''An Enchanted Garden: Fairy Stories'', illus. W. J. Hennessy (1892) – coll. of 7, * ''The Girls and I: A Veracious History'' (1892) * The Man With the Pan-Pipes; and Other Stories (circa 1892) * Leona (circa 1892) * The next-door house (1892) * Mary (1893) * Nurse Heatherdale's Story; and Little Miss Peggy (1893) * ''Studies and Stories'' (1893) – collection, mainly nonfiction * My New Home (1894) * ''

'', illus.

L. Leslie Brooke Leonard Leslie Brooke (24 September 1862 – 2 May 1940) was a British artist and writer. Early life and education Brooke was born in Birkenhead, England, the second son of Leonard D. Brooke.General Register Office index of births registered i ...

(1895) * Olivia, a story for girls (1895) * ''Uncanny Tales'' (circa 1896) – collection of 6 * Philippa (1896) * Sheila's Mystery (1896) * The Oriel window (1896) * Hoodie (1897) * Meg Langholme; or, The day after to-morrow (1897) * Miss Mouse and Her Boys (1897) * '' The Magic Nuts'', illus. Rosie M. M. Pitman (1898) * The Laurel Walk (1899) * This and that : a tale of two tinies (1899) * ''The Wood-pigeons and Mary'', by Molesworth and

H. R. Millar Harold Robert Millar (1869–1942) was a prominent and prolific Scottish graphic artist and illustrator of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He is best known for his illustrations of children's books and fantasy literature. "His ...

(1901) * Peterkin (1902) * ''Fairies—of Sorts'', illus.

Gertrude Demain Hammond Gertrude Demain Hammond or Mrs. McMurdie (1862 – 21 July 1952) was a British painter and children's book illustrator. Hammond was born in Brixton. She is known for graphic design and typography, and exhibited from 1886 in London at the Royal ...

(1908) – coll. of 5 * ''Fairies Afield'', illus. Hammond (1911) – coll. of 4. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
Warning. Collection contents as listed in ISFDB publication records may omit non-genre stories. * Edmeé: a tale of the French revolution (1916) * Stories by Mrs. Molesworth (compiled by Sidney Baldwin, 1922) * ''Five Minutes' Stories'' (not dated—1888?) * ''Great-Uncle Hoot-Toot'' (not dated—1889?) * The Thirteen Little Black Pigs, and Other Stories (not dated—1893?) * Blanche: A Story for Girls (not dated—1893?) * The Grim House (1899) * The House That Grew (1900) * Jasper (1906) * The Laurel Walk (1898) * Lettice (1884) * The Little Old Portrait: Later: Edmee, A Tale of the French Revolution (1884) * Mary (1893) * Nurse Heatherdale's Story (1891) * The Old Pincushion; or, Aunt Clotilda's Guests (1889) * Silverthorns (1887) * Sweet Content (1891) * That Girl in Black (1889) * The Third Miss St Quentin (1888) * White Turrets (1895) *The Bolted Door: and other stories (1906) illustrated by Lewis Baumer

Anthologies as contributor

* ''A Christmas Fairy and Other Stories'' (1878) – John Strange Winter, Mrs. Molesworth, and Frances E. CromptonProject Gutenberg Ebook #28306 (HTML format)
11 March 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2019. *''Jack Frost's Little Prisoners: A Collection of Stories for Children from Four to Twelve Years of Age'' (1887) – other contributors Stella Austin, S. Baring-Gould, Caroline Birley, Edward Hugessen Knatchbull-Hugessen Brabourne, Mrs. Massey,

Anne Thackeray Ritchie Anne Isabella, Lady Ritchie ( Thackeray; 9 June 1837 – 26 February 1919), eldest daughter of William Makepeace Thackeray, was an English writer, whose several novels were appreciated in their time and made her a central figure on the late Vi ...

, E. M. Wilmot-Buxton, and Charlotte M. Yonge) *''A Budget of Christmas Tales, by Charles Dickens and Others'' (circa 1895) – other contributors

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

, Margaret Elizabeth Munson Sangster, Mrs. W. H. Corning,

Irving Bacheller Addison Irving Bacheller (September 26, 1859 – February 24, 1950) was an American journalist and writer. He founded the first modern newspaper syndicate in the United States. Birth and education Born in Pierrepont, New York, Irving Bacheller ...

, Julia Schayer, Hezekiah Butterworth, Cornelia Redmond,

Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and became best known for her novel '' Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1852), which depicts the har ...

Ella Wheeler Wilcox Ella Wheeler Wilcox (November 5, 1850October 30, 1919) was an American author and poet. Her works include the collection '' Poems of Passion'' and the poem "Solitude", which contains the lines "Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you ...

, C. H. Mead, Herbert W. Collingwood, and

Juliana Horatia Ewing Juliana Horatia Ewing (née Gatty, 3 August 1841 – 13 May 1885) was an English writer of children's stories. Her writings display a sympathetic insight into children's lives, an admiration for things military, and a strong religious faith. Li ...

)

References

External links

* * * * * * *
"Griselda's Big Adventures"
by Jacqueline Wilson, review of Mrs Molesworth and ''The Cuckoo Clock'' (2002)
"'The Victorian Auntly Narrative Voice and Mrs. Molesworth's Cuckoo Clock"
by Sanjay Sircar (1989)

by Mario Guslandi (2003)
List of works
at

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