Margaret Winship Eytinge facts for kids

Margaret Winship Eytinge (1832-1916) was an American author. She lived in New York for much of her life. Margaret was best known for writing children's short stories and poems. She used different pen names, which are like secret author names. These included Madge Elliot, Bell Thorne, and Allie Vernon. Margaret was the mother of actress Pearl Eytinge. She was also married to the famous illustrator Sol Eytinge Jr..

Who Was Margaret Eytinge?

Margaret Winship Eytinge was a talented writer. She created many stories and poems for young readers. Her work was popular in her time. It appeared in many newspapers and magazines. She also had a book of her own stories published.

Margaret's Early Life

Margaret's maiden name was Winship. This means Winship was her family name before she married. She was born in July 1832. We do not know much about her very early years. Some records suggest her father was a butcher. Her family had a long history in New York.

Margaret went to Rutgers Female College. This was a school for young women. By the time she was eighteen, she was married. Her first child, a son named James, was born around this time. Her daughter, Pearl, was born a few years later, around 1855. Margaret's first husband was James B. Wyckoff. He worked in "dry goods," which meant he sold fabrics and clothing. Later, he became a doctor.

Family Life and Changes

Margaret and James B. Wyckoff divorced in the 1850s. James continued to work as a doctor in New York. He later moved to Illinois, where he had family. He passed away in 1864.

Margaret later met and married Sol Eytinge Jr.. Sol was a well-known illustrator. He drew pictures for books and magazines. Margaret's daughter, Pearl, lived with them. Pearl took her stepfather's last name, Eytinge. She later became a successful actress. Margaret's son, James, became a teacher. He later moved to Illinois and started a new career in gardening. Margaret and Sol Eytinge did not have children together.

Her Writing Career

Margaret started writing at a young age. Her work was published when she was just fifteen. She used the pen name Allie Vernon for some of her early writings. Later, she wrote for the New York Picayune newspaper. For this, she used the name Bell Thorne.

Margaret spent time with other writers and artists. This helped her meet her future husband, Sol Eytinge Jr. Her stories and poems appeared in many places. These included famous American magazines like Harper's Magazine and Our Young Folk. Her work was also shared in other countries. It was published in Britain and Australia.

One of her most famous books was The ball of the vegetables and other stories in prose and verse. This book collected many of her children's stories. You can find an online version of this book. It is available at The Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature website. More of her works are listed on the Lehigh University website.

Later Years

Margaret and Sol Eytinge lived in Bayonne, New Jersey for many years. Margaret passed away on January 26, 1916. She was 83 years old.