Mary Cholmondeley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mary Cholmondeley
Cholmondeley, from a 1906 publication
Born	(1859-06-08)8 June 1859 Hodnet, Shropshire, England
Died	15 July 1925(1925-07-15) (aged 66) Kensington, London, England
Occupation	Novelist
Notable work	Red Pottage (1899)

Mary Cholmondeley (born June 8, 1859 – died July 15, 1925) was an English writer who wrote novels. Her most famous book, Red Pottage, was a bestseller. It made fun of people who pretended to be religious and showed how boring country life could be. This book was even made into a silent movie in 1918.

Mary Cholmondeley's Early Life

Mary Cholmondeley was born in Hodnet, a small village near Market Drayton in Shropshire, England. She was the third of eight children. Her father, Rev Richard Hugh Cholmondeley, was a church leader. Her mother was Emily Beaumont.

Mary came from a family of writers and interesting people. Her great-uncle, Reginald Heber, wrote hymns. Her niece, Stella Benson, also became a writer. An uncle, Reginald Cholmondeley, hosted the famous American writer Mark Twain when he visited England. Mary's sister, Hester, wrote poetry and kept a journal. Mary included some of Hester's writings in her own family memoir, Under One Roof.

Mary spent much of her early life helping her family. Her mother was often sick, so Mary helped run the household. She also helped her father with his church duties. Mary herself suffered from asthma. From a young age, she loved to tell stories to her younger brothers and sisters.

Moving Around

After living in a few different places, Mary's family returned to Hodnet in 1874. Her father took over as the local church leader from his own father.

In 1896, Mary's father retired. She moved with him and her sister Diana to Condover Hall. This was a large house her father had inherited. They later sold the house and moved to London, living in Albert Gate Mansions.

After her father passed away, Mary lived with her sister Victoria. They moved between Ufford, Suffolk, and Kensington, London. During World War I, Mary worked in an office at the Carlton House Terrace Hospital. In 1919, the sisters moved to Argyll Road in Kensington. Mary Cholmondeley died there on July 15, 1925, when she was 66 years old. She never married.

Mary Cholmondeley's Books

Mary Cholmondeley started writing seriously when she was a teenager. In her journal in 1877, she wrote about how much she wanted to write books. She felt that if she didn't marry, she would need a special job besides her home duties.

She first had some short stories published in magazines like The Graphic. Her first novel was The Danvers Jewels (1887). It was a detective story and became quite popular. This book was published after another writer, Rhoda Broughton, introduced Mary to a publisher named George Bentley.

She then wrote more novels: Sir Charles Danvers (1889), Diana Tempest (1893), and A Devotee (1897). At first, she was paid small amounts for her books. For example, she received £40 for The Danvers Jewels. But for Diana Tempest, she was paid £400. This was the first book published with her name on it.

Her most famous book, Red Pottage (1899), was a huge success. It sold very well in both England and America. The book made fun of people who were not truly religious and showed the boring side of country life. Some people even criticized it from church pulpits, saying it was wrong. Even though the book was very popular, Mary didn't earn much money from it later on. This was because she had sold the copyright. A silent movie based on Red Pottage was made in 1918.

Diana Tempest was re-released in 2009, which was the first time in 100 years. Some of her later books, like Moth and Rust (1902) and Notwithstanding (1913), were not as successful. She also wrote collections of short stories, such as The Lowest Rung (1908) and The Romance of his Life (1921). The last book she wrote was The Romance of his Life.

Selected Works

Images for kids

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  Cover of Prisoners, a book by Mary Cholmondeley, published in 1906.