Clarke, Lady Olivia (''née'' Owenson; 1785 – 24 April 1845), was a poet and Irish dramatist, best known as the author of ''The Irishwoman, a comedy in five acts''

Early life and education

Olivia Owenson was born in Dublin in 1785 to

Robert Owenson Robert Owenson (''Robert MacOwen'') (1744–1812) was an Irish actor, author and father of Lady Olivia Clark and novelist Sydney, Lady Morgan. Career Born in Tirawley, on the Mayo–Sligo county border, Owenson established a National Theatre ...

and Jane Hill. Her father was an

Irish Catholic Irish Catholics are an ethnoreligious group native to Ireland whose members are both Catholic and Irish. They have a large diaspora, which includes over 36 million American citizens and over 14 million British citizens (a quarter of the British ...

and a professional actor while her mother was the Protestant daughter of a merchant from

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...

. In 1776 her parents moved from Great Britain to Ireland and settled in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

where Owenson earned a living by performing in theatres around Dublin, Drumcondrath, and

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...

. Their eldest daughter was born in 1778, named

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. She went on to become a well known novelist. Clarke initially grew up in Dublin on

Dame Street Dame Street (; ) is a large thoroughfare in Dublin, Ireland. History The street takes its name from a dam built across the River Poddle to provide water power for milling. First appears in records under this name around 1610 but in the 14th c ...

with her sister. However her mother died in 1789 and she and her sister were sent away to school. Clarke attended Madame Terson's school in Clontarf and later attended Mrs Anderson's finishing school in Dublin. Once school was complete the sisters joined their father in Kilkenny for several years. Clarke got a position as a governess for the Brownrigg family where she met the doctor who became her husband.

Career

Clarke wrote poetry for various periodicals in Dublin including Metropolitan Magazine, The Comic Offering and

Athenaeum Athenaeum may refer to: Books and periodicals * ''Athenaeum'' (German magazine), a journal of German Romanticism, established 1798 * ''Athenaeum'' (British magazine), a weekly London literary magazine 1828–1921 * ''The Athenaeum'' (Acadia U ...

. She was known for her satirical verse. Clarke and held salons in her home in

North Great George's Street North Great George's Street () is a street on the Northside of Dublin city first laid out in 1766 which connects Parnell Street with Great Denmark Street. It consists of opposing terraces of 4-storey over basement red-brick Georgian townhouses ...

. She also remained in touch with the theater and produced the play ''The Irishwoman'' in 1819 at the Theatre Royal, Dublin. She had three daughters who survived her, Sydney, Olivia, and Josephine. They inherited her sister's estate and maintained her correspondence. Her daughter Olivia married

Marmion Savage Marmion Wilme Savage (1803–1872), also known as Marmion Wilard Savage, was an Irish novelist and journalist. Life He was son of the Rev. Henry Savage. He matriculated as a pensioner on 6 October 1817 at Trinity College, Dublin, obtaining a scho ...

. Clarke died on 24 April 1845. She was buried with her father in

Irishtown, Dublin Irishtown () is an inner suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is situated on the southside of the River Liffey, between Ringsend to the north and Sandymount to the south, and is to the east of the River Dodder. History Irishtown grew outside of Dublin, ...

. Her husband died in 1857.

Bibliography

* ''The Irishwoman'', (1819) * ''Parodied on popular songs'', (1836)

References and sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Owenson, Olivia 1785 births 1845 deaths 18th-century Irish women writers 19th-century Irish poets 19th-century Irish women writers Irish governesses Irish women poets Writers from Dublin (city) 19th-century Irish educators 19th-century women educators