Frances Maria Cowper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frances Maria Cecilia Cowper
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Portrait of Mrs William Cowper, née Maria Frances Cecilia Madan, by William Hoare (1707—1792).
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| Born | Frances Maria Cecilia Madan 22 November 1722 Hertingfordbury Park, Hertfordshire, England |
| Died | 15 October 1797 (aged 74) Devonshire Street, Paddington, Central London |
| Resting place | South Audley Anglican Chapel, Grosvenor Square, Mount Street, Westminster |
| Pen name | "a lady" |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Subject | Devotional |
| Spouse | William Cowper (1721—1769) |
| Children | Frances Cecilia Cowper; Charles Cowper; George Cowper; Spencer Cowper |
| Relatives | Judith Madan (mother); Martin Madan(father); Martin Madan (brother); Spencer Madan (brother); Penelope Maitland (sister); Frederick Madan (brother); James Russel Madan (brother) |
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Frances Maria Cecilia Cowper (born Madan; 1726–1797) was an English poet. She wrote religious poems and was part of a group of writers called the Madan-Maitland literary coterie. She was also known as Maria Frances.
Her Life Story
Frances Maria Madan was the second of nine children. Her parents were Judith Madan and Colonel Martin Madan.
When she was a child, Frances had poor eyesight. She went to a special eye doctor, called an oculist, named Mrs. King. Mrs. King helped her learn to read and write. Frances also went to school in Wells, Somerset. Both her parents encouraged her to read and write.
Frances and her sister Penelope were considered very beautiful in London society. Her father traveled often, and the family sometimes had money problems. Her mother, who used to write, faced challenges after she got married.
Around 1749, her mother joined a religious group called the Methodists. This group was led by John Wesley and Selina Hastings. Frances and her cousin, William Cowper, were also part of this religious group. From 1766, they wrote many letters to each other, mostly about their faith.
On August 5, 1749, Frances married her first cousin, William Cowper. He was from Hertingfordbury. They had six children together:
- William Cowper (1750—1798)
- Maria Judith Cowper (born 1752)
- George Cowper (1754—1787)
- Frances Cecilia Cowper (1764—1849)
- Charles Cowper (born 1765)
- Spencer Cowper (died young)
Frances's husband passed away after they had been married for twenty years. She lived as a widow for another twenty-eight years. She first lived in York and then moved to London in 1772.
Her Poetry
Frances Cowper published one book of religious poems. Her famous cousin, William Cowper, helped to edit it. The book was first printed in 1792. Later, new editions came out in 1807 and 1810, after she had passed away. There were also two editions published in the United States.
When the book was first released, it said it was "by a lady." This was a common way for women writers to publish their work without using their real name. In a later edition, a note mistakenly said the author was "Mrs. Cowper, the aunt of the immortal poet." But she was actually his cousin.
The book's introduction was short. It said that the poems were published because friends had asked for them. The collection has eighty-nine poems, all about Christian beliefs. In the introduction and some poems, Frances Cowper wrote about the good things about living a quiet life away from the world.
One of her hymns, "My span of life will soon be done," became very popular. It has been included in seventy-eight different hymn books. Here are the first few lines:
My span of life will soon be done,
The passing moments say;
As length'ning shadows o'er the mead
Proclaim the close of day (lines 1–4)
Two of her poems were also chosen for a collection called Eighteenth-century women poets in 1989.
Her Published Works
- Cowper, Frances Maria. Original poems, on various occasions. By a lady. Revised by William Cowper, Esq. of the Inner Temple. William Cowper, Editor. London: printed for J. Deighton, Holborn; J. Mathews, Strand; and R. Faulder, Bond Street, 1792.
Online Versions of Her Work
- [Cowper, Frances Maria]. Original Poems, on Various Occasions. By a Lady. Revised by William Cowper, Esq. of the Inner Temple. Second Edition. London: For Mathews and Leigh, 18, Strand, R. Faulder, Bond Street, and J. Deighton, Cambridge. Orig. pub. 1792; 1807. (Full text at Google Books).
See also
