Mary Ann Kilner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Ann Kilner
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An early edition of Adventures of a pincushion
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| Born | 14 December 1753 London, England |
| Died | 1 December 1831 (aged 77) Maryland Point, London |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Subject | Education |
| Notable works | The Adventures of a Pincushion |
Mary Ann Kilner (born Maze; 1753–1831) was a very busy English writer. She created many children's books in the late 1700s. Her most famous book was The Adventures of a Pincushion. She and her sister-in-law, Dorothy Kilner, wrote more than thirty books together! Mary Ann often used the pen name "S. S." This was a secret code for her home in Spital Square, London.
Mary Ann's Early Life
Mary Ann was born on December 14, 1753, in Spital Square, London. She was the youngest child of James Maze. Her father was a successful Huguenot (a French Protestant) who worked with silk. He was a silk throwster and a merchant.
Mary Ann could speak both English and French. People said she was very smart. Her childhood friends were a brother and sister named Dorothy and Thomas Kilner. Dorothy and Mary Ann wrote letters to each other all the time. They kept writing throughout their childhood and teenage years.
On September 18, 1774, Mary Ann married Thomas Kilner. She moved into his home at 33 Spital Square. They had five children together. Three of their children, Eliza, Frances, and George, lived to be adults.
Her Writing Career
Mary Ann's sister-in-law, Dorothy, published a book in 1780. It was called The First Principles of Religion. After seeing Dorothy's success, Mary Ann decided to try publishing her own work. She contacted John Marshall, who was Dorothy's publisher.
Marshall published Mary Ann's book, Familiar Dialogues for the Instruction and Amusement of Children of Four and Five years Old, in 1781. After that, she wrote several storybooks. These included Memoirs of a Peg Top and Jemima Placid in 1782. The next year, she published The Adventures of a Whipping Top and William Sedley.
In 1783, she also released A Course of Lectures, for Sunday Evenings. This book gave religious advice to young people. Her most famous book, The Adventures of a Pincushion, came out in late 1783 or early 1784. All of these books were very popular. They were reprinted many times, some even until the 1830s.
At first, Mary Ann and Dorothy published their books without using their real names. Dorothy later started using the initials M. P. for her home, Maryland Point. Mary Ann then chose "S. S." for her home, Spital Square.
Mary Ann Kilner's Books
- The Adventures of a Pincushion... (around 1780–1783)
- A Course of Lectures for Sunday Evenings. Containing Religious Advice to Young Persons (around 1783)
- Jemima Placid (around 1783)
- William Sedley; or, the Evil Day Deferred (around 1783)
- Memoirs of a Peg-Top (around 1785)
- Familiar Dialogues for the Instruction and Amusement of Children... (around 1790)
- The Happy Family; or Memoirs of Mr and Mrs Norton... (around 1790)
