Anna Sewell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anna Sewell
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Anna Sewell, c. 1878
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| Born | 30 March 1820 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England |
| Died | 25 April 1878 (aged 58) Old Catton, Norfolk, England |
| Resting place | Quaker burial ground, Lammas |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Period | 19th century |
| Genre | Children's literature |
Anna Sewell (born March 30, 1820 – died April 25, 1878) was an English writer. She is famous for her book Black Beauty, which was published in 1877. This was the only book she ever published. Even though it's now seen as a children's classic, Anna Sewell actually wrote it for adults. She wanted to teach people how to be kind to horses. Anna Sewell died just five months after Black Beauty was published, but she lived long enough to see her book become a big success.
Contents
About Anna Sewell
Her Early Life
Anna Sewell was born on March 30, 1820, in Great Yarmouth, England. Her family were Quakers, a Christian group known for their simple lifestyle and strong beliefs in peace and equality. Her father was Isaac Phillip Sewell, and her mother, Mary Wright Sewell, was a successful author of children's books. Anna also had a younger brother named Philip. Because her family didn't have much money for school, Anna and Philip were mostly taught at home by their mother.
When Anna was two years old, her father's small shop failed, and the family moved to London. Life was tough, and Anna and Philip often stayed with their grandparents in Buxton, Norfolk.
In 1832, when Anna was twelve, her family moved to Stoke Newington, and she went to school for the first time. Two years later, when she was fourteen, Anna had a bad fall and hurt her ankles very badly. This injury meant she could not stand without a crutch or walk for long distances for the rest of her life. To get around, she often used horse-drawn carriages. This experience helped her to love horses and care deeply about how they were treated.
Her Adult Life
In 1836, Anna's family moved to Brighton, hoping the warmer weather would help her health. Around this time, Anna and her mother joined the Church of England, but they still worked hard to help others. Anna's mother wrote many religious children's books, and Anna helped her edit them. The Sewell family was involved in many good causes. For example, Anna helped her mother start a club for working men and supported campaigns against alcohol and slavery.
Anna's health continued to get worse over the years. She traveled to Europe in 1846 to try and find treatment. Her family moved several more times, living in places like Lancing, Abson, and Bath.
In 1866, Anna's brother Philip's wife died, leaving him with seven young children. To help him, the Sewell family moved to Old Catton, a village near Norwich, in 1867.
Writing Black Beauty
Anna Sewell wrote Black Beauty while living in Old Catton, between 1871 and 1877. During this time, her health was very poor, and she was often too weak to leave her bed. Writing was difficult for her. She would tell the story to her mother, who wrote it down. From 1876, Anna started writing on small pieces of paper, and her mother would then copy them out.
Black Beauty is special because it's one of the first English novels told from the point of view of an animal, in this case, a horse. Even though it's now a children's favorite, Anna Sewell originally wrote it for people who worked with horses. She said her main goal was "to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses." The book showed how horses should be cared for and trained kindly. It had a big impact on reducing cruelty to horses. For example, the book highlighted how painful bearing reins were for horses, and after the book was published, these reins slowly stopped being used.
Anna sold her book to a publisher in Norwich called Jarrolds on November 24, 1877. She was 57 years old. She received a single payment of £40 (which would be worth about £3,456 or US$4,630 today). The book was published that same year.
Her Death
After Black Beauty was published, Anna Sewell became very ill. She was in great pain and completely bedridden for several months. She died on April 25, 1878, at the age of 58. She passed away from hepatitis or tuberculosis, just five months after her only novel was published. She was buried on April 30, 1878, at the Quaker burial ground in Lamas, near Buxton, Norfolk.
Memorials and Monuments
Anna Sewell's birthplace in Great Yarmouth has been a museum and a tea shop. It is now used by Redwings Horse Sanctuary. The house in Old Catton where she wrote Black Beauty is called Anna Sewell House.
There is a special fountain and horse trough in Ansonia, Connecticut, USA, that was built to remember Anna Sewell. It was given by Caroline Phelps Stokes, who was known for helping animals, in 1892.
Another memorial fountain for Anna Sewell is in Norwich, at the entrance to Sewell Park. Her niece, Ada Sewell, placed it there in 1917.
In 1984, the Quaker burial ground at Lamas, where Anna Sewell was buried, was disturbed. However, the gravestones of Anna, her parents, and her grandparents were later moved and placed safely in a wall outside the old Lammas Quaker meeting house.
In 2020, a street in Chichester, West Sussex, was named in Anna Sewell's honor.
See also
In Spanish: Anna Sewell para niños
- Sewell Park, Norwich
- Sewell Barn Theatre
- Sewell Park Academy
