Frances Milton Trollope facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frances Milton Trollope
Oil on canvas of Frances Trollope by Auguste Hervieu, c. 1832
Born	Frances Milton (1779-03-10)10 March 1779 Bristol, England
Died	6 October 1863(1863-10-06) (aged 84) Florence, Italy
Other names	Fanny Trollope
Occupation	Novelist
Notable work	Domestic Manners of the Americans
Spouse(s)	Thomas Anthony Trollope ​ ​ (m. 1809; his death 1835)​
Children	7; including Anthony, Thomas, and Cecilia
Parent(s)	William Milton Mary Gresley

Frances Milton Trollope, often called Fanny Trollope (born March 10, 1779 – died October 6, 1863), was an English writer. She was known for her books, especially Domestic Manners of the Americans (1832). This book shared her thoughts and observations from a trip to the United States.

Frances Trollope also wrote novels about social issues. One of her books spoke out against slavery and is believed to have influenced Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. She also wrote the first ever industrial novel, which explored life in factories.

Many people read her books during her time. In 1839, a magazine called The New Monthly Magazine said that no other writer was "so read, so much admired, and so much abused" at the same time.

Two of her sons, Thomas Adolphus and Anthony, also became famous writers.

About Frances Trollope's Life

Frances Trollope was born in Stapleton, Bristol, England. She was the third daughter of Reverend William Milton and Mary Milton. Her mother passed away when Frances was only five years old.

As a child, Frances loved to read many books in English, French, and Italian. In 1803, she and her sister moved to London to live with their brother, Henry.

Marriage and Family Life

In London, Frances met Thomas Anthony Trollope, a lawyer. They got married on May 23, 1809, when she was 30 years old. They had seven children together: four sons and three daughters.

In 1817, the Trollope family moved to a farm. They faced money problems because they didn't know much about farming. Frances gave birth to her last two children there.

Several of her children became writers, just like her. Her oldest son, Thomas Adolphus Trollope, wrote many history books and some novels. Her fourth son, Anthony Trollope, became a very famous novelist. He was known for his series of books, like those set in the fictional county of Barsetshire. Her daughter, Cecilia Trollope Tilley, also published a novel in 1846.

Moving to America

Because of money problems and difficulties in her marriage, Frances decided to seek help from Fanny Wright. Fanny Wright was a friend of the French hero Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. In 1824, Frances visited Lafayette's home in France.

She was inspired to travel to America with Fanny Wright. Frances thought she could save money there and send her children to Wright's special school. Fanny Wright wanted to create a community in Tennessee to help educate African American children.

In 1827, Frances Trollope took most of her family to Fanny Wright's utopian community called Nashoba Commune in the United States. Her husband and other children joined them later.

Frances arrived in the United States four years before her husband. She worked with an artist named Auguste Hervieu on her plans. However, the community did not succeed.

After the community failed, Frances and her sons moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. She tried different ways to earn money, but none of them worked out. She found the culture in America uninteresting and didn't like the democratic system. Her family ended up with more debt than before, so they had to move back to England in 1831.

Returning to Europe

When Frances returned to England at age 50, she needed to earn money for her family and pay off debts. This is when she started writing books, travel stories, and articles. She traveled around Europe and met many famous writers of her time, like Charles Dickens.

Frances Trollope wrote an amazing 40 books! These included six travel books, 35 novels, and many articles and poems. In 1843, she visited Italy and later moved to Florence permanently.

Frances Trollope's Writing Career

Frances Trollope became well-known with her very first book, Domestic Manners of the Americans (1832). In this book, she shared her opinions about America, which were not always positive. Some Americans felt her descriptions were unfair or exaggerated.

She also wrote other travel books, such as Belgium and Western Germany in 1833 (1834) and Paris and the Parisians in 1835 (1836).

Important Novels

Frances Trollope wrote several powerful novels that focused on social issues.

• Against Slavery: Her novel Jonathan Jefferson Whitlaw (1836) was one of the first books to speak out against slavery. It is believed to have influenced Harriet Beecher Stowe's famous book, Uncle Tom's Cabin. Trollope's novel showed how cruel slavery was and made characters who supported slavery seem foolish.
• Factory Life: In 1840, she published Michael Armstrong: Factory Boy. This was the first industrial novel in Britain. Frances was inspired to write it after visiting Manchester in 1832 and seeing the difficult lives of children working in textile factories. The story showed the sadness of factory life and suggested that charity alone couldn't fix the widespread problems.
• Other Social Issues: Her novel The Vicar of Wrexhill (1837) looked at problems within the Church of England.
• First Sequel: One of her most important works is the Widow Barnaby series (1839–1855). This series included the first ever sequel in literature!

Many people admired her ability to observe things closely and her sharp, witty writing style.

Later Life and Passing

Frances Trollope continued to write many novels and books on different topics throughout her later years. She wrote over 100 books in total!

After her husband and daughter passed away in the 1830s, Trollope moved to Florence, Italy. She lived there permanently with her son Thomas Adolphus and his wife, Theodosia. Frances Trollope passed away in 1863 and was buried in the English Cemetery of Florence.

Major Works

• Domestic Manners of the Americans (1832)
• Belgium and Western Germany in 1833 (1834)
• Tremordyn Cliff (1835)
• Paris and the Parisians in 1835 (1836)
• The Life and Adventures of Jonathan Jefferson Whitlaw; or Scenes on the Mississippi (1836) [1]
• The Vicar of Wrexhill (1837)
• Vienna and the Austrians (1838)
• The Widow Barnaby (1839)
• The Widow Married; A Sequel to the Widow Barnaby (1840)
• The Life and Adventures of Michael Armstrong, the Factory Boy (1840)
• Charles Chesterfield, or the Adventures of a Youth of Genius (1841)
• A Visit to Italy (1842)
• The Refugee in America (1842)
• The Ward of Thorpe-Combe (1842)
• The Barnabys in America, or Adventures of the Widow Wedded (1843)
• Jessie Phillips: A Tale of the Present Day (1844)
• Young Love, A Novel (1844)
• Travels and Travelers: A Series of Sketches (1846)
• Town and Country, A Novel (1848)
• The Young Countess, or, Love and Jealousy (1848)
• The Old World and the New, A Novel (1849)
• The Lottery of Marriage (1849)
• Petticoat Government, A Novel (1850)
• Mrs. Mathews, or Family Mysteries, A Novel (1851)
• The Young Heiress, A Novel (1853)

Images for kids

• 

  Grandon, Monken Hadley. This was home to Fanny Trollope from 1836 to 1838.

See also

• Frances Trollope bibliography
• Trollope
• Frances Wright