Ann Gomersall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ann Gomersall
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Born | Ann Richardson 24 January 1750 Portsmouth, England |
Died | 17 June 1835 Newport, Isle of Wight |
(aged 85)
Pen name | "A Female Inhabitant of Leeds in Yorkshire" |
Language | English |
Literary movement | Romantic; Gothic |
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Ann Gomersall (born January 24, 1750 – died June 17, 1835) was a British writer from the Romantic period. She wrote novels that often focused on money and social issues.
Contents
About Ann Gomersall's Life
Ann Richardson was likely born in Portsmouth, England. Her parents lived there. She later lived in Leeds for many years. We don't know much about her early life.
Ann started writing to help her husband. He was a merchant who had lost money. After 35 years of marriage, she became a widow. She then worked hard at manual jobs for eight years.
Later in life, she faced more challenges. She had a stroke and her eyesight got worse. Because she needed money, she started writing again. In 1824, she published a poem called Creation. She sold all 500 copies. Ann Gomersall died ten years later, needing help from the local parish.
Ann Gomersall's Writing Style
Ann Gomersall's first novel, Eleonora, was published without her name. But people soon knew she was the author. Important magazines like The Critical Review liked her book. They praised her ability to write natural conversations. However, one magazine didn't like how she used everyday speech.
Her novels often showed a strong interest in business and trade. She also wrote about how hard it was for women to earn money. This was a common topic for writers at that time. Her book The disappointed heir (1796) even included scenes from America and the West Indies.
A book expert named James Raven admired her novels. He noted that some parts might have been written quickly.
After her first novel, she used her own name for her books. During her lifetime, her works were called "simple" and "pleasant." But they were soon forgotten. More recently, people have started to notice her work again. She was listed as one of 106 "lost" women writers. This was in a book called Mothers of the Novel: 100 Good Women Writers Before Jane Austen. Also, a special new edition of her novel The Citizen was published in 2016.
Ann Gomersall's Books
Novels
- Eleonora, a novel, in a series of letters; written by a female inhabitant of Leeds in Yorkshire. London: printed for the Authoress, by the Literary Society at the Logographic Press, and sold by J. Walter, No. 169, Piccadilly, and W. Richardson, 1789. (This book was sold by subscription, meaning people paid for it before it was printed.)
- The citizen, a novel. In two volumes, by Mrs. Gomersall of Leeds, author of Eleonora. London: Scatcherd & Whitaker, 1790. (Also sold by subscription.)
- The disappointed heir: or, memoirs of the Ormond family. A novel. In two volumes. By A. Gomersall, author of Eleonora, Citizen, &c. Exeter: J. M'Kenzie; W. Richardson; Hookham and Carpenter, 1796.
Poetry
- Creation, A Poem: by A. Gomersall. Newport: Printed for the author; and sold by Black, Young, and Young, London; and by J. Rowden, Newport, Isle of Wight, 1824. (Also sold by subscription.)
Online Versions of Her Works
- The Citizen, 1790. (You can read it on Google Books, Volume I, Volume II)
- Creation, A Poem, 1824. (Read the text, Google Books)
See also
- Mothers of the Novel: 100 Good Women Writers Before Jane Austen