Emma Marshall facts for kids

Emma Marshall (1830–1899) was a very busy English author who wrote over 200 books for children. She was known for weaving exciting stories around real historical figures and famous places.

Life Story

Emma Marshall was born Emma Martin in 1830 near Cromer, England. Her family soon moved to Norwich. She later wrote about her early life in one of her first stories, The Dawn of Life (1867). She went to a private school until she was sixteen.

The beautiful Norwich Cathedral and its surroundings greatly influenced her. When she was a girl, she read a poem called Evangeline by Longfellow. She was so impressed that she wrote to the poet, and they became pen pals for many years!

In 1849, Emma moved to Clifton, Bristol. She started writing because she wanted to entertain and teach young people. Her first story, Happy Days at Fernbank, was published in 1861. Between that time and her death, she wrote over two hundred stories! This huge number of books was partly because her family faced financial difficulties in 1878. Emma bravely worked hard to help clear their debts by writing more.

Emma Marshall passed away at her home in Clifton on May 4, 1899, due to pneumonia. She was buried in the cemetery of Long Ashton.

Her Books and Stories

Emma Marshall had a special way of writing. She would choose a real historical person or a famous building and then create a story around it. Some of her most popular books were Under Salisbury Spire, Penshurst Castle, and Winchester Meads. Her book Life's Aftermath was also very popular, selling thousands of copies.

Her stories often featured a famous historical character. For example, in Under Salisbury Spire (1890), the main character is George Herbert. In Penshurst Castle (1894), the story is woven around Sir Philip Sidney.

Emma's last book, The Parson's Daughter, was finished by her daughter Beatrice after Emma's death. It was published in 1899. All of Emma Marshall's tales had a strong moral and religious message. Many of her books were translated into other languages.

People like Canon Ainger praised her work. He said her stories helped people around the world become interested in history and literature.

Some of Her Works

• Rainy Days And How to Meet them (1862)
• Heights And Valleys (1871)
• A Lily Among Thorns (1874)
• The Cathedral Cities Of England, English Cathedrals (1879)
• Heather And Harebell (1881)
• Under the Mendips (1886)
• Oliver's Old Pictures or The Magic Circle (1888)
• Her Season in Baths (1889)
• In The City Of Flowers (1889)
• Little Miss Joy (1891)
• A Flight With The Swallows (1896)
• In The Choir of Westminster Abbey (1897)
• She also wrote a novel called Dayspring.

Her Family

In 1854, Emma married Hugh Graham Marshall. They lived in different cathedral towns like Wells, Exeter, and Gloucester. Longfellow, her pen pal, even called her 'Queen of Summer, temple-haunting Martlet' because she moved so often between these towns.

Emma and Hugh had seven children: three sons and four daughters. Their youngest daughter, Christabel Marshall, grew up to be a famous campaigner for women's suffrage (the right for women to vote), a playwright, and an author.

Images for kids

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  Hurly-Burly; or, After a Storm Comes a Calm 1893 book cover by Emma Marshall