Anna Maria Mackenzie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anna Maria Mackenzie
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| Born | Anna Maria Wight |
| Pen name | Ellen of Exeter |
| Occupation | Author |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | English |
| Years active | 1783–1811 |
| Notable work | Monmouth: A Tale, 1790 |
| Spouse | Cox; Johnson; Mackenzie |
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Anna Maria Mackenzie (who wrote from about 1783 to 1811) was a very popular author. She wrote many novels in the late 1700s and early 1800s. She worked closely with a famous publishing company called the Minerva Press.
Contents
About Anna Maria Mackenzie
Anna Maria Wight was born in Essex, England. Her father was a coal merchant. We do not know much about her early life.
She married a man named Cox, but he passed away. This left her with four children and not much money. She worked as an assistant at a school for girls. Later, she decided to become a full-time writer.
By 1789, she had married again, to a man named Johnson. By 1795, she was publishing books as Mrs. Mackenzie. This was likely the name of her third husband.
Her Writing Career
Anna Maria Mackenzie's writing career is a bit tricky to follow. This is because she used different names for her books. Sometimes she wrote without a name (anonymously). Other times, she used a fake name (a pseudonym) like Ellen of Exeter. She also used each of her three married names.
Because of this, it is hard to know exactly how many books she wrote. We are sure she wrote at least sixteen novels. She may have also written articles for newspapers when she was younger. But she became famous for her novels.
People who reviewed her books usually liked them. Her novels were so popular that other publishers often copied them without permission.
She published many of her books with William Lane. He started the very successful Minerva Press. He also owned a lending library. Anna Maria Mackenzie wrote stories that people loved to read at the time.
Her first big book was Burton Wood (1783). It was a sentimental epistolary novel. This means it was a sad story told through letters. Many of her books also had exciting and mysterious parts, known as Gothic elements. Later, she wrote historical fiction. These stories were set in the past.
Some of her historical novels include:
- Monmouth (1790), about a real historical event.
- Danish Massacre (1791), set in early medieval times.
- Mysteries Elucidated (1795), which takes place in the 1300s.
One expert said that her career shows almost every popular writing style of her time.
Anna Maria Mackenzie's Books
Novels She Wrote
- Burton-Wood (1783)
- The Gamesters (1786)
- Retribution (1788)
- Calista (1789)
- Monmouth: A Tale (1790)
- Danish Massacre (1791)
- Slavery: or, The Times (1792)
- Orlando and Lavinia. Or, The Libertine (1792)
- Mysteries Elucidated (1795)
- The Neapolitan; or, The Test of Integrity (1796)
- Dusseldorf; or, The Fratricide (1798)
- Feudal Events, or, Days of Yore (1800)
- Swedish Mysteries, or Hero of the Mines (1801)
- Martin & Mansfeldt, or the Romance of Franconia (1802)
- The Irish Guardian, or, Errors of Eccentricity (1809)
- Almeria D'Aveiro; or, The Irish Guardian (1811)
Religious Work
- Joseph (1783): This was a religious book. She published it under her first married name, A. M. Cox.
See Also
- Circulating library
- List of Minerva Press authors
- Minerva Press
- William Lane
