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Anne Isabella Thackeray Ritchie
Anne Ritchie in May 1870
Anne Ritchie in May 1870
Born Anne Isabella Thackeray
(1837-06-09)9 June 1837
London, England
Died 26 February 1919(1919-02-26) (aged 81)
Occupation Writer
Nationality British
Spouse Richmond Ritchie
Children 2
Relatives William Makepeace Thackeray (father)
Isabella Gethin Shawe (mother)

Anne Isabella, Lady Ritchie (born June 9, 1837 – died February 26, 1919) was an English writer. She was the oldest daughter of the famous author William Makepeace Thackeray. Anne Ritchie wrote several popular novels. She was an important person in the world of books during the late Victorian era. People especially remember her for taking care of her father's writings. She also wrote short stories that mixed old fairy tales with modern Victorian life. In her 1885 novel Mrs. Dymond, she used a famous saying for the first time in English: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for life."

About Her Life

Anne Isabella Thackeray was born in London, England. She was the oldest daughter of William Makepeace Thackeray and Isabella Gethin Shawe. Anne had two younger sisters. One sister, Jane, died when she was very young. The other sister, Harriet Marian, later married Leslie Stephen.

Anne's father called her "Anny." She spent her childhood living in both France and England. She and her sister were often with Anne Evans, who later became a poet.

In 1877, Anne married her cousin, Richmond Ritchie. He was 17 years younger than her. They had two children, Hester and Billy. Anne was also the step-aunt of the famous writer Virginia Woolf. Virginia Woolf wrote about Anne after she passed away. It is also thought that Anne inspired a character named Mrs. Hilbery in Virginia Woolf's book Night and Day.

Her Writing Career

In 1863, Anne Isabella published her first successful book, The Story of Elizabeth. Many other books followed after that.

Some of her notable works include:

  • The Village on the Cliff (1867)
  • To Esther, and Other Sketches (1869)
  • Old Kensington (1873)
  • Toilers and Spinsters, and Other Essays (1874)
  • Bluebeard's Keys, and Other Stories (1874)
  • Five Old Friends (1875)
  • Madame de Sévigné (1881), which was a biography with parts from other writings

Anne Ritchie also used old folk stories in a special way. She would take tales like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood and use them to show modern situations.

She also wrote five novels:

  • Miss Angel (1875)
  • From An Island (1877), a short novel partly about her own life
  • Miss Williamson's Divagations (1881)
  • A Book of Sibyls: Mrs. Barbauld, Mrs. Opie, Miss Edgeworth, Miss Austen (1883)
  • Mrs. Dymond (1885; reprinted in 1890)


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