Molly Elliot Seawell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Molly Elliot Seawell
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Molly Elliot Seawell 1893
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| Born | October 23, 1860 Gloucester, Virginia |
| Died | November 15, 1916 (aged 56) Washington, D.C. |
Molly Elliot Seawell (born October 23, 1860 – died November 15, 1916) was an important American writer and historian. She wrote many books and stories, including popular books for young readers.
Molly grew up on a large farm in Virginia. She was a niece of President John Tyler. She loved to read and spent hours in her family's library. She especially enjoyed classic English books and poetry. She didn't read her first novel until she was 17 years old! Her favorite hobbies were reading, riding horses, and playing the piano.
After her father passed away, Molly started sending her stories to magazines. An editor named William S. Walsh saw her talent right away. He encouraged her to keep writing. At first, she used a pen-name, but later she began to use her real name. Her story Maid Marian was one of her best. She also wrote books for young people, like Little Jarvis, which won a prize.
Molly Elliot Seawell wrote an essay that caused a lot of discussion. It was called On the Absence of Creative Faculty in Women. Many people, including famous writers, talked about her ideas. Her writing style was sometimes compared to Jane Austen. Besides short stories, her works included Young Heros of our Navy, Maid Marian and Other Stories, and Midshipman Paulding.
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Early Life and Learning
Molly Elliot Seawell was born in Gloucester, Virginia. Her birth name was Mary Elliot Seawell. Her family was one of the oldest European families in Virginia. Her father, John Tyler Seawell, was a lawyer and a great speaker. He was also a nephew of President John Tyler.
Molly's mother, Frances Elizabeth Jackson Seawell, was from Baltimore. Her grandfather, Major William Jackson, was a brave officer in the War of 1812. He fought in the Battle of North Point.
The family name "Seawell" is sometimes spelled "Sewell." Molly pronounced her name as it was spelled.
Molly grew up at her family's farm, "The Shelter." This old house had been a hospital during the American Revolutionary War. She described her childhood as quiet and spent mostly in the library. She felt like her community was more like the 1700s than the 1800s.
Her father loved classic books and taught Molly a lot. She wasn't allowed to read novels until she was 17. Instead, she read history books, encyclopedias, and plays by William Shakespeare. She also loved the Romantic poets. She learned many things at home, like riding horses, dancing, and managing a household. Her uncle, Joseph Seawell, was a sailor. He inspired some of her later stories about the sea.
Molly's Adult Life
After her father died, Molly moved to Norfolk and then to Washington, D.C.. She also traveled to Europe many times. She visited places like England, France, Germany, and even Russia. She went to special baths in Germany and Russia that helped her eyes feel better.
Molly would spend her summers in Europe and return to Washington in October. These trips gave her new ideas for her stories. She wrote about the sea, England, France, and Central Europe.
In Washington, D.C., Molly lived with her mother and younger sister, Henrietta. Their home was a gathering place for artists and writers. Important people like the Earl of Carlisle also visited them. After her mother and sister passed away, Molly took a break from social life. She was known for being very friendly and interested in people.
Molly Elliot Seawell was not always well for several years. She passed away from an illness at her home on November 15, 1916. She was 56 years old. Her funeral was held at the Church of St. Matthew in Washington. She was buried in Baltimore's Greenmount Cemetery.
Starting Her Writing Career
Molly Elliot Seawell began writing seriously after her father's death. She was 20 years old at the time. She moved with her mother and sister to Norfolk, and then to Washington, D.C. It was during this time that her writing career truly began.
She first used different pen-names, like "Foxcroft Davis." But after her short story Maid Marian was published in 1886, she started using her real name. She even turned Maid Marian into a play. Her first novel, Hale-Weston, came out in 1889. It was very popular and was even translated into German.
Molly described her success in her own words:
I succeeded because I worked very hard. I was healthy, and many good things happened. Most importantly, I believe it was because of God's kindness. Over time, just from writing, I was able to own a house, pay taxes, and hire five people.
In 1890, Molly won a prize for a short story. Five years later, she won a $3000 prize from the New York Herald for another story. She wrote over forty books of fiction, many short stories, non-fiction works, and political articles for newspapers.
Molly's Writing Style
Molly Elliot Seawell's stories can be grouped into three types: stories about specific regions, romance stories, and books for boys. Her books for boys were often about the sea. Her best talent was creating interesting characters. She once said, "My characters usually feel real to me. If they don't feel alive at the start, no amount of work can make them real."
Some critics noted that her plots were not her strongest point. They also mentioned that her stories sometimes showed old-fashioned ideas. However, her books were very popular in her time. At the start of the 1900s, she was included in important lists of American writers. She was also interviewed alongside famous authors like Jack London.
Molly's Books
- Midshipman Paulding (1891)
- Paul Jones (1892)
- Decatur and Somers (1893)
- The Berkeleys and their Neighbors (1894)
- A Strange, Sad Comedy (1895)
- The Sprightly Romance of Marsac (1896)
- The History of Lady Betty Stair's Suitors (1897)
- A Virginian Cavalier (1898)
- The Rock of the Lion (1898)
- The Loves of the Lady Arabella (1899)
- The Fortunes of Fifi (1903) – (This book was made into a movie in 1917!)
- The Victory (1906)
- The Ladies' Battle (1911)
- Betty's Virginia Christmas (1914)
Images for kids
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Molly Elliot Seawell 1893
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Molly Elliot Seawell (1898)
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Molly Elliot Seawell 1902
