Fanny Blood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fanny Blood
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A plate from Flora Londinensis
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| Born | 1758 |
| Died | 29 November 1785 (aged 26–27) |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) | Hugh Skeys |
Frances "Fanny" Blood (1758 – 29 November 1785) was an English artist and teacher. She was a very close friend of the famous writer Mary Wollstonecraft. Fanny's life, though short, inspired some of Wollstonecraft's most important writings.
Early Life and Artistic Talent
Fanny Blood was born in 1758. Her parents were Matthew Blood the Younger and Caroline Roe. Fanny showed artistic talent from a young age.
She used her skills to help her family. A botanist named William Curtis paid Fanny to paint beautiful wildflowers. These paintings were for his book, Flora Londinensis. This work helped Fanny earn money for her family.
A Special Friendship and a School
Fanny Blood became very good friends with Mary Wollstonecraft in 1774. Their friendship was very strong and important to both of them. Mary Wollstonecraft's husband, William Godwin, later wrote about how deep their friendship was.
Fanny, Mary, and Mary's sisters, Eliza and Everina, decided to open a school together. Their first school was in Islington, but it did not last long. They then opened another school in Newington Green. This school also offered a place for women and their children to live.
Later Life and Lasting Impact
On February 24, 1785, Fanny Blood married Hugh Skeys. He was a wine merchant from Dublin. After her marriage, Fanny left the school. Mary Wollstonecraft also left the school to care for her friend. The second school then closed down.
Fanny Blood sadly died in Lisbon, Portugal, on November 29, 1785. She passed away during childbirth. Mary Wollstonecraft was very sad about Fanny's death. This sadness inspired Mary's first novel, Mary: A Fiction (1788). Later, Mary Wollstonecraft named her own daughter, Fanny Imlay, after her dear friend.
