Jemima von Tautphoeus facts for kids
Jemima von Tautphoeus (born Jemima Montgomery) was an Irish writer. She lived from 1807 to 1893. She wrote many stories in English. Jemima spent much of her life in Germany. Her books often shared details about life, customs, and history in Bavaria.
Jemima's Life Story
Jemima Montgomery was born on October 23, 1807. Her birthplace was Seaview, in County Donegal, Ireland. Her parents were James Montgomery and Jemima Glasgow. She was also the niece of Sir Henry Conyngham Montgomery. A famous writer named Maria Edgeworth was her cousin. Jemima thought Maria was one of the most interesting people she knew.
On January 29, 1838, Jemima married Cajetan Josef Friedrich. He was a Baron von Tautphœus from Marquartstein. He also worked for the king of Bavaria. After her marriage, Jemima lived mostly in Bavaria. She was comfortable both with people at court and with everyday people. Her books show how well she understood different parts of Bavarian life.
Baron von Tautphœus passed away on November 14, 1885. This happened just after their only son, Rudolf, died. Rudolf had become an important Bavarian minister in Rome. Jemima von Tautphoeus herself died on November 12, 1893.
Her Writing Career
Jemima von Tautphoeus was part of a special group of English writers. These writers lived in other countries. They used their skills to describe life and customs in those foreign places. Her books were very popular in the late 1800s.
A writer named Richard Garnett said her four novels were fun. They mixed romance with travel stories. Her books showed her knowledge of both English and German ways of life. Her main characters, like Hildegarde in The Initials, were strong and curious.
Her first novel, The Initials, came out in 1850. It became very popular. This book compared two German sisters. It was a suspenseful story with a happy ending.
Quits was published in 1857. This novel explored how thinking deeply can protect someone from silly social life. It included many pages about the Oberammergau Passion Play from 1850.
Cyrilla (1854) was based on a real murder trial. Her last novel, At Odds (1863), was harder for her to write. She was not feeling well during that time.
Later, people said that Baroness von Tautphoeus had traditional tastes. She read a lot of books in English, German, and French. She was careful about the new changes happening in the 1800s. She often saw Bavaria as a place where old traditions were safe. She did not publish any more books for 33 years after her last novel. This might be because she did not agree with some of the changes in Bavaria. As a newspaper said when she died, "She always lived a quiet life, and had published nothing for many years."
