Edith Somerville facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Edith Œnone Somerville
Somerville atop her horse Tarbush
Born	(1858-05-02)2 May 1858 Corfu, United States of the Ionian Islands (part of modern Greece)
Died	8 October 1949(1949-10-08) (aged 91) Castletownshend, County Cork, Republic of Ireland
Pen name	Geilles Herring
Occupation	writer
Language	English
Alma mater	South Kensington School of Art Royal Westminster School of Art
Period	1889–1949
Notable works	The Real Charlotte, The Irish R.M.
Relatives	Henry Boyle Townshend Somerville (brother) Violet Florence Martin (cousin)
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Edith Anna Œnone Somerville (born May 2, 1858 – died October 8, 1949) was an Irish writer. She often signed her work as "E. Œ. Somerville". She worked closely with her cousin, Violet Martin, who wrote under the name "Martin Ross". Together, they were known as "Somerville and Ross". They wrote fourteen stories and novels. Their most famous books were The Real Charlotte, published in 1894, and Some Experiences of an Irish R. M., published in 1899.

Growing Up and School

An illustration by Somerville in All on the Irish Shore

Edith was the oldest of eight children. She was born on the island of Corfu. At that time, Corfu was a British protectorate, meaning it was protected and partly controlled by Britain. Her father was working there.

A year later, her family moved to Drishane, Castletownshend, in County Cork, Ireland. This is where Edith grew up. People said she was very strong-willed and often led her younger brothers and sisters. Her family encouraged girls to be brave and confident.

Edith first learned at home. Later, she went to Alexandra College in Dublin. In 1884, she traveled to Paris several times to study art. She attended famous art schools like the Académie Colarossi and Académie Delécluse. She also spent time at the Westminster School of Art in London. At home, her favorite hobbies were riding horses and painting.

Writing and Art Career

In January 1886, Edith met her cousin, Violet Martin. Their writing partnership began the next year. Their first book, An Irish Cousin, came out in 1889. They used pen names at first: Edith used "Geilles Herring" and Violet used "Martin Ross". But after the first edition, they stopped using these names.

In 1898, Edith went to paint at the Etaples art colony in France. Violet went with her. While there, they got the idea for the stories in Some Experiences of an Irish R. M.. This book was finished the next year. By the time Violet passed away in 1915, they had published fourteen books together.

Violet's death was very hard for Edith. But Edith kept writing as "Somerville and Ross". She felt a strong connection to Violet and continued their work.

Edith was also a keen sportswoman. In 1903, she became the master of the West Carbery Foxhounds, which meant she led the fox hunting group. She also supported the suffragist movement. This movement worked to get women the right to vote. She wrote letters to Dame Ethel Smyth, another important person in this movement.

In 1916, a major event called the Easter Rising happened in Ireland. Edith was in London at the time. On May 9, she wrote a letter to The Times newspaper. In it, she said the British government was responsible for the problems in Ireland. After this, she became more interested in Irish Nationalism. This is the idea of Ireland being an independent nation. She was also a talented musician and often played Irish tunes and Nationalist songs at parties.

Edith also had art exhibitions in Dublin and London between 1920 and 1938. She illustrated many books, especially those about sports and children's stories. One of her cousins, Ethel Penrose, was also a writer whose books Edith illustrated.

In 1936, her brother, Henry Boyle Townsend Somerville, passed away. He was a retired Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy. Edith finished his book, "Will Mariner", after his death.

Later Life and Legacy

Edith Somerville passed away in Castletownshend in October 1949, when she was 91 years old. She is buried next to Violet Florence Martin at Saint Barrahane's Church in Castletownshend. There is a special memorial for both of them. Many of their writings and papers are kept at Castletownshend and in Trinity College Library.

The Irish RM books were made into a TV series in 1983, which helped more people discover their stories. In 2022, a novel called Edith was published by Martina Devlin. It was based on Edith's life in the early 1920s.

Images for kids

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  Somerville atop her horse Tarbush

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  An illustration by Somerville in All on the Irish Shore