Catherine Eliza Richardson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Catherine Eliza Richardson
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Portrait of Catherine Eliza Richardson
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| Born | 24 November 1777 Canonbie, Dumfriesshire, Scotland |
| Died | 9 October 1853 (aged 75) Canonbie, Dumfriesshire, Scotland |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Spouse | Gilbert Geddes Richardson (m. 1799) |
| Children | 5 |
Catherine Eliza Richardson (born Scott, November 24, 1777 – October 9, 1853) was a Scottish writer and poet. She wrote a long novel and three collections of poems. People sometimes called her Caroline Eliza Richardson. She also published her books under the name Mrs. G. G. Richardson.
Contents
Catherine Eliza Richardson's Life Story
Catherine Eliza Richardson was born in 1777 in Canonbie, a village in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Her parents were Phoebe Scott and James Scott. Her father was a landowner and a Justice of the Peace, which meant he helped keep law and order.
Catherine grew up in a large family with many brothers and sisters. Her parents were well-educated and smart. This meant she had a good start in life.
In 1799, Catherine traveled to India. There, she married her cousin, Gilbert Geddes Richardson. He was a ship captain for an East Indiaman (a large sailing ship). He also owned part of a trading company. Her uncle, Lord Harris, was a general, which connected her to India.
Catherine and Gilbert had five children quickly. Sadly, Gilbert died in 1805. After his death, Catherine returned to Canonbie, Scotland. She raised her young children there. Later, when her children were teenagers, she moved to London. In 1821, she moved back to Canonbie. She lived there until she passed away on October 9, 1853.
Catherine was a close friend of the famous writer Thomas Carlyle. He once wrote about her, calling her "poor and hospitable Mrs. Richardson." He also said she was a "gentlewoman" and that he and his wife loved her.
What Did She Write?
Catherine Eliza Richardson's first book was a four-volume novel called Adonia - A Desultory Story. It was published in 1801. A "four-volume novel" means it was so long it came in four separate books. Her name was not on the book, but many clues show she wrote it.
She also wrote poems for a magazine called London Weekly Review. This magazine was published between 1827 and 1829. The editor, David Lester Richardson, encouraged her to publish her own poetry books. Some people thought they might be related because they shared a last name.
Her Poetry Collections
In 1828, Catherine published her first collection of poems, simply titled Poems. She sold it by "private subscription." This means people paid for the book before it was printed. About 1,700 copies were sold this way.
Some magazines reviewed her book. The Edinburgh Literary Journal was not very kind. But The Athenaeum said her poems were "chaste" (pure) and had "pleasing" ideas. They also noted a "vein of melancholy" (sadness) in them. Poems was so popular that it was reprinted in 1828 and again in 1829.
In 1834, she published her second poetry book, Poems: Second Series. The Metropolitan said these poems were "above the common-place" and had "considerable humour." Another magazine, The New Monthly Magazine, praised them highly. They said the poems were "full of poetic gems" and showed an "elegant and highly cultivated mind."
Her third set of poems was for children. It was called Grandmamma's Sampler; with some other Rhymes for Children. This book came out in 1836.
Years later, in 1876, Chambers's Journal wrote about her. They said she was one of the "forgotten or little known poets." They thought her work was "clear and pure," sometimes "sparkling," and often "soft and gentle." She continued to write poems and stories throughout her life.
Books and Poems by Catherine Eliza Richardson
- Adonia (1801)
- Volume I
- Volume II
- Volume III
- Volume IV
- Poems (1828)
- Poems: Second Series (1834)
- Grandmamma's Sampler; with some other Rhymes for Children (1836)
