Charlotte Dacre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charlotte Dacre
Born	1771 or 1772
Died	7 November 1825
Occupation	author

Charlotte Dacre (born Charlotte King, 1771 or 1772 – November 7, 1825) was an English writer. She was famous for her Gothic novels. These are often spooky stories with mysteries and strong emotions.

Charlotte used different names for her writing. She first wrote as "Rosa Matilda." Later, she used another pen name to surprise her readers. After marrying Nicholas Byrne in 1815, she became Charlotte Byrne.

Her Life Story

Charlotte Dacre was one of three children of John King. He was a Jewish moneylender from a Portuguese Jewish family. Her father was also a political writer in London.

Charlotte's parents separated in 1784. Her father later lived with the Countess of Lanesborough. Charlotte had a sister named Sophia, who was also a writer. She also had a brother named Charles.

Charlotte Dacre married Nicholas Byrne on July 1, 1815. They had three children together: William Pitt (born 1806), Charles (born 1807), and Mary (born 1809). Nicholas Byrne worked for The Morning Post newspaper in London.

Charlotte started her writing career by sending poems to the Morning Post. She used the name "Rosa Matilda" for these poems. Another writer, Mary Robinson, worked there and influenced Charlotte.

Charlotte Dacre passed away on November 7, 1825. She died in London after being ill for a long time.

Her Books and Poems

In 1798, Charlotte King and her sister Sophia published a book of poems. It was called Trifles of Helicon. They dedicated it to their father. They wanted to show him that their education was not wasted.

Charlotte used some of these poems again in her 1805 book, Hours of Solitude. This book was published under the name Charlotte Dacre. This helped confirm that Charlotte Dacre and Charlotte King were the same person.

She also wrote poems for the Morning Post and Morning Herald newspapers. For these, she used her pen name, Rosa Matilda. Charlotte wrote several novels too. Some of her well-known novels include The Confessions of the Nun of St. Omer (1805) and The Passions (1811).

Her Impact on Others

For many years, Charlotte Dacre's work was almost forgotten. However, some famous writers of her time admired her. Her novels even influenced Percy Bysshe Shelley. He was a well-known poet who liked her writing style.

It is thought that Lord Byron mentioned Charlotte Dacre in his poem. His poem, English Bards and Scotch Reviewers, made fun of many writers. He wrote these lines about her:

Far be't from me unkindly to upbraid

The lovely Rosa's prose in masquerade,

Whose strains, the faithful echoes of her mind,

Leave wondering comprehension far behind.