Eliza Berkeley facts for kids

Eliza Berkeley (born Frinsham) was an English writer who lived from 1734 to 1800. She was part of a famous group called the Blue Stockings Society. This was a group of educated women who met to discuss literature and art. After losing many family members in the 1790s, Eliza started to organize family writings and write her own books.

Her Early Life and Family

Eliza Frinsham was born in 1734. Her home was a vicarage (a church minister's house) in White Waltham, near Windsor Forest. Her father, Henry Frinsham, was a vicar. Her mother was the daughter of Francis Cherry, who left a large amount of money to his daughters. However, some of this money was lost in a financial event called the South Sea Bubble.

Eliza grew up in the vicarage. Even as a young girl, she was very smart. At age six, she was a bit of a tomboy. By age 11, she had already written two sermons!

Eliza and her sister Anne went to Mrs. Sheeles's school in Queen Square, London. They stayed there for about a year until their father passed away. Eliza loved to read and went to church prayers every afternoon.

In 1754, when Eliza was 19, her mother also died. Eliza and her sister inherited a lot of money. They decided to move to a house in Windsor. Eliza was small and very short-sighted. She was also very good at languages, reading Spanish, Hebrew, and French. She even took a Spanish prayer book to church! She became good friends with other important women writers and thinkers of her time, like Catherine Talbot, Elizabeth Carter, and Elizabeth Montagu.

Marriage and Family Life

In 1761, Eliza married the Reverend George Berkeley. For the first ten years of their marriage, her husband worked in different churches in places like Bray, Acton, and Cookham.

Their first son, George Monck Berkeley, was born in 1763 in Bray. Eliza was not well at the time, suffering from a sickness called ague. She also faced the risk of smallpox, a common disease back then. In 1766, their second son, George Robert, was born. After he was old enough, Eliza got a smallpox vaccine. She then focused on teaching her two sons at home.

In 1771, Dr. Berkeley became a church official in Canterbury. The family moved to a place called The Oaks, which was once a monastery garden near Canterbury Cathedral. Eliza, with the help of her friend Susanna Duncombe, became an important person among the wives of the church officials there.

Later Life and Challenges

Sadly, Eliza faced many losses in her life. In 1775, her second son, George Robert, died when he was almost nine years old.

After her son Monck went to Eton College, the family moved to Scotland. They lived there while Monck studied at the University of St Andrews. From 1780 onwards, Monck's health was a worry. For ten years, Eliza traveled around England with her husband, sister, and son, trying to find places that might help his health.

In January 1793, her son Monck died. Then, in January 1795, her husband passed away. Two years later, in January 1797, her sister also died. These losses made Eliza very unusual in her behavior.

In her last three years, Eliza Berkeley lived in several places, including Chertsey, Henley, Oxford, and Sackville Street. She died in Kensington in 1800, at the age of 66. She wanted to be buried in Cheltenham with her son. Eliza was a kind and giving person. She even paid money every year to Richard Brenan, who had been a servant to the famous writer Jonathan Swift.

Her Writings

Eliza Berkeley worked on publishing some important books. She edited a book of poems written by her son, George Monck Berkeley. She also edited a collection of sermons (church speeches) by her husband. These were both published in 1799.

She also wrote many strong opinions for a magazine called the Gentleman's Magazine.

In 1797, her edition of her son's Poems was published. It included a very long introduction of 630 pages. This introduction was supposed to be about her son, but it was very personal and went off-topic a lot. At the time, many people thought it was quite strange. The book itself contained 178 pages of poems, plus a short afterword.

Her Family

In 1761, Eliza married the Reverend George Berkeley (1733–1795). He was the son of a famous person, Bishop George Berkeley.

They had two sons:

• George Monck Berkeley (1763–1793)
• George Robert Berkeley (1766–1775)