Sarah Fielding facts for kids

Sarah Fielding (born November 8, 1710 – died April 9, 1768) was an English writer. She was the sister of the famous novelist Henry Fielding. Sarah Fielding is best known for her book The Governess, or The Little Female Academy (1749). This book is believed to be the first novel in English written especially for children. Before that, she had great success with her novel The Adventures of David Simple (1744).

Growing Up in England

Sarah Fielding was born in East Stour, Dorset, England, in 1710. Her parents were Edmund Feilding and Sarah Gould. She had older siblings, Henry and Ursula, and younger siblings, Anne, Beatrice, and Edmund. Her father, Edmund, was a military officer. Her mother, Sarah Gould, was the daughter of a judge named Sir Henry Gould.

Sarah's parents often left their children with her mother's mother, Lady Sarah Gould. The children grew up in Lady Gould's home in Glastonbury and their grandfather's house in East Stour. While her brother Henry went to a famous school called Eton College, Sarah and her sisters went to a boarding school in Salisbury. This school did not focus much on academics, but Sarah later became very well-read. She studied Greek, Latin, French, and English literature on her own.

When Sarah's mother passed away in 1718, her father married Anne Rapha. Anne was a Roman Catholic widow and had her own children. She later had a son with Edmund, who became Sarah's half-brother, John Fielding. John later became a well-known reformer. Sarah's grandmother, Lady Gould, did not like Edmund's second marriage. In 1721, Lady Gould even went to court to gain custody of the children and ownership of the family home. She won the case, which meant Sarah and her siblings could not see their father for some years.

Becoming a Writer

The second edition of The Adventures of David Simple. Her brother Henry Fielding wrote an introduction for it.

In the 1740s, Sarah Fielding moved to London. She often lived with her sisters or with her brother Henry and his family. The women in her family did not have enough money for a dowry, which was money or property a bride's family gave to her husband. Because of this, none of the sisters ever married. Even when Lady Gould died in 1733, there was not much money left for the children.

Sarah decided to become a writer to earn a living. She started writing while living with her brother Henry and helping him with his home. In 1742, Henry Fielding published his novel Joseph Andrews. Many people believe Sarah Fielding wrote a letter from one of the characters in that book. She might also have written a part of her brother's book Miscellanies (1743), which was about the life of Anne Boleyn.

In 1744, Sarah Fielding published her own novel, The Adventures of David Simple in Search of a Faithful Friend. Like many writers at the time, she published it without her name on it. The book was very successful and received praise from other writers, including Samuel Richardson. The story is about two couples who have lost their inheritance. It talks about how women's intelligence was often ignored and how hard it was for gentlewomen to earn money.

This novel was so popular that a second edition was printed within ten weeks. It was also translated into French and German. Later, when Sarah published other novels, they often said they were written by "the author of David Simple" on the title page. Because of its popularity, she wrote Familiar Letters between the Principal Characters in David Simple in 1747. In 1753, she wrote a sequel called David Simple: Volume the Last.

David Simple was one of the first "sentimental novels." These stories often feature a good-hearted hero who looks for true friendship. David Simple finds happiness in marriage and a peaceful life away from the city. However, in her later sequel, Volume the Last, Sarah Fielding's writing became darker. It showed less belief that goodness would always win in a difficult world.

The title page from The Governess, or The Little Female Academy (1749) by Sarah Fielding. This was the first full-length novel written for children.

Sarah Fielding wrote three other original novels. The most important one was The Governess, or The Little Female Academy (1749). This book is special because it was the first novel in English written specifically for children. She also wrote The History of the Countess of Dellwyn (1759) and The History of Ophelia (1760).

Besides novels, Sarah Fielding also wrote as a critic. Her Remarks on Clarissa (1749) was about Samuel Richardson's novel Clarissa. She also wrote biographies, like The Lives of Cleopatra and Octavia (1757). This book told the stories of Cleopatra and Octavia Minor, two famous women from ancient Roman times. Sarah also worked as a translator. She translated Xenophon's Memoirs of Socrates, with the Defense of Socrates Before His Judges (1762). This was a work by the ancient Greek writer Xenophon about the philosopher Socrates.

Later Life

Sarah Fielding's sisters passed away between 1750 and 1751, and her brother Henry died in 1754. After this, Sarah left London and moved to a small house near Bath. Some famous people, like the kind philanthropist Ralph Allen and the writer Elizabeth Montagu, gave her some financial help. Around 1767, another novelist named Sarah Scott invited Fielding to live with her in a special community for women. This community was an attempt to create a perfect society, like the one described in the book Millenium Hall. However, Sarah Fielding chose not to join. She passed away in 1768. There is a special plaque in her memory on the west porch of Bath Abbey.

Images for kids

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  The second edition of The Adventures of David Simple. Her brother Henry Fielding wrote an introduction for it.

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  The title page from The Governess, or The Little Female Academy (1749) by Sarah Fielding. This was the first full-length novel written for children.

See also

In Spanish: Sarah Fielding para niños