Alys Fane Trotter facts for kids
Alys Fane Trotter (born Keatinge; 1863–1961) was an Irish poet and artist. She is known for her writings and drawings, especially about her time in South Africa.
She was born in Dublin, Ireland. Her parents were Ella Flora Mayne and Maurice Keatinge. Her father worked at the Irish Court of Probate. When Alys was young, her family moved to London. In 1886, Alys married Alexander Pelham Trotter.
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Alys Trotter's Life and Work
Adventures in South Africa
From 1896 to 1899, Alys and her husband lived in southern Africa. Alexander was an expert on electricity for the government there. While living in the Cape Colony, Alys and Alexander explored the area. Alys wrote and drew pictures for a book called "Old Cape Colony: a chronicle of her men and houses from 1652 to 1806."
Some of Alys Trotter's original drawings are now kept in the William Fehr Collections in South Africa. These include pictures like "Head of a Labourer," "Pressing Grapes," and "Old House at Stellenbosch."
Writing and Art in England
When they returned to England, Alys and Alexander lived at Teffont Evias. Alys continued to write poetry. Her poems were published in popular magazines like Punch and the Cornhill Magazine.
Alys and Alexander had two children: a son named Alexander Nigel (known as Nigel), born in 1894, and a daughter named Gundred Eleanor, born in 1889.
A Mother's Loss and Poetry
Sadly, her son Nigel was killed in a battle in France in 1914 during World War I. This tragic event deeply affected Alys. Her later poetry often reflected on her life with Nigel and the pain of losing him.
She published several collections of her poems:
- "Nigel, and other verses" (1918)
- "Houses and Dreams" (1924)
Her poems were also included in books that collected war poems. These included "Poems from Punch 1909 – 1920" and "Valour and Vision: Poems of the War, 1914 - 1918." Her niece, Jacqueline Theodora Trotter, helped edit some of these collections.
Alys Trotter continued to draw and paint throughout her life. She passed away in 1961 at Greystones in Teffont Evias.
Family Connections
- Her daughter, Gundred, married Horace Courthope Beck, who was an archaeologist.
- Her father's brother was Lt.-Gen. Richard Harte Keatinge, who received the Victoria Cross medal for bravery.
- Her husband's sister was the missionary Isabel Lilias Trotter.
