Sarah Harriet Burney
Born:听August 29, 1772
Died:听February 8, 1844
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Works:
- Clarentine (1796)
- Geraldine Fauconberg听(1808)
- Traits of Nature听(1812)
- The Shipwreck听(1816) (published in听Tales of Fancy)
- Country Neighbours听(1820) (published in听Tales of Fancy)
- The Renunciation听(1839) (published in听The Romance of Private Life)
- The Hermitage听(1839) (published in听The Romance of Private Life)听
Birth
Sarah Harriet Burney was born on August 29, 1772, in King's Lynn, Norfolk. She was the youngest child of听Charles Burney (1726-1814)听and his second wife, Elizabeth (n茅e Allen) (1728-1796). She was about twenty years younger than her six half-siblings.
Youth and Education
From the age of nine, Sarah Harriet was schooled for two years by a governess in Switzerland (1781-1783). She studied French, Italian, drawing, and music.听
Personal Life
As the last remaining child in the Burney household, Sarah Harriet was left to act as a companion and caregiver to her mother. After her mother's death in 1796, Sarah Harriet kept house for her father, but became increasingly emotionally isolated from him. In 1798, she left her father's household to live with her half-brother听James, who had left his wife and family. James and Sarah Harriet kept house together for five years, moving between London and Bristol. In 1803, James returned to his wife and children. Sarah Harriet found a position as a governess for the Wilbraham family, in Cheshire. In 1807, she returned home to Chelsea to care for her father. After her father's death in 1814, Sarah Harriet found work, first as a companion to a young invalid and later as a governess for the granddaughters of Lord Crewe. In 1829, she left for Italy, where she spent time in Rome and Florence before coming back to England in 1833. She spent her final years at boarding houses in Bath and Cheltenham.听
Literary Career
Sarah Harriet was widely read and had a particular regard for the works of Sir Walter Scott and Jane Austen (Sarah Harriet's copy of听Pride and Prejudice听was recently听put on sale by Simon Finch). Sarah Harriet, though now largely overshadowed by her more famous half-sister听Frances, was a novelist in her own right. Her writing also provided her with a necessary source of income. Her first two novels,听Clarentine听(1796) and听Geraldine Fauconberg听(1808) were published anonymously. Her third,听Traits of Nature听(1812), was published under her own name and sold out within four months.听Tales of Fancy听was a three volume collection that includes听The Shipwreck听(1816) and听Country Neighbours听(1820). Her final work,听The Romance of Private Life听(1839), includes听The Renunication听and听The Hermitage.听
Death
On February 8, 1844, at the age of seventy-one, Sarah Harriet Burney died at Belgrave House, the Promenade, Cheltenham. She is buried at St Mary's, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.听
Further Reading
Online Resources
By Lorna J. Clark
Available to online subscribers to the听
By Claire Murley
Made available online by the听Corvey Project听at听Sheffield Hallam University
Made available online by the听听project at听
Made available online by the听听project at听
Made available online by the听听project at听
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Print Resources
Clark, Lorna J.听听Athens: U of Georgia Press, 1997.听
---.听听Lumen听20 (2001): 71-81.听
---.听听Persuasions听17 (1995): 16-25.听
---.听听Lumen听19 (2000): 121-34.听
Morley, Edith J.听听Modern Philology听39.2 (Nov 1941): 123-158.
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