Charlotte Mary Yonge

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Charlotte Mary Yonge
Charlotte M. Yonge at the age of 35, photographed by her uncle Duke Yonge
Charlotte Mary Yonge at age 75

Charlotte Mary Yonge (born August 11, 1823 in Otterbourne in Hampshire, † May 24, 1901 there ) was an English writer of the Victorian Age.

Life

Charlotte was born in Otterbourne House, in the hamlet of Otterbourne, near Winchester. Her father was the son of a pastor, William Crawley Yonge (1795-1854) was an army officer i. R. and Justice of the Peace, her mother Frances Mary Bargus (1795–1868). Her brother Julian was born in January 1830.

The pious family came from a number of priestly ancestors and were broadly related to many. The young Charlotte led a secluded life that was limited to family members and their close friends. She had a happy childhood in which there was no idleness.

She was homeschooled by her parents in Latin, Greek, French, arithmetic - history and biology were her favorite subjects. She also loved painting and drawing. When she traveled to London with her parents, she would collect materials from the London library for her articles. At the age of 7, she began teaching other children the Sunday School her parents had set up for the local poor in 1824. She wrote stories for it (including her "Aunt Charlotte" series).

Her father had a strong influence on her writing with his belief that women should be strictly guided by the Christian moral code.

In 1841 she began to publish her first works, which are mostly shaped by a basic Christian attitude and often have an educational character.

Otterbourne Church was viewed as inadequate for the Hursley parish when John Keble , one of the founders of the Oxford Movement , was appointed as the new Vicar. Her father and John Keble hired a Winchester architect, Mr. Owen Carter, to build the church, and because her father was an admirer of York Cathedral, they used it as a model for the new St. Matthew's Church. The first stone for the building was laid in the week of Pentecost in 1837 by Charlotte's brother Julian. A school for boys was also to be built on the church premises and a larger room for the girls' school was to be added. Part of the construction costs were to be collected through a bazaar in Winchester and with Charlotte's first book "The Chateau de Melville", which people bought for a good cause, although it only had exercises and translations of the French language for the content. John Keble prepared Charlotte for her confirmation, and both her father and Kebel helped her write by offering constructive criticism and helping with publication. Many of Keble's friends from Oxford visited the Yongs, including Vicar Charles Dyson. His sister, Marianne Dyson , was also a writer and soon became Charlotte's friend and mentor. John Taylor Coleridge, a distant relative, with his four daughters, about Charlotte's age, were also regulars.

" The Heir of Redclyffe ," her book published in 1853, was one of the most successful novels of the century and could accommodate in terms of popularity with the works of Dickens and Thackeray. Today we would call it a “best seller”.

She was invited to become co-editor of The Monthly Packet , which began with its publication in 1851 and lasted until 1899. Many of Charlotte's novels were serially printed here, and it established itself as the first popular newspaper for teenagers. She was the editor of this magazine for over 40 years .

While Charlotte's brother was serving in the Crimean War, her father suddenly died of a stroke in 1854. Charlotte had adored her father and trusted his guidance so that she was heartbroken over his death.

Julian was sick and discharged from the army and the Otterbourne house became too small for Julian and his family. So in 1862 Charlotte and her mother moved to the Elderfield house near the church. Charlotte took the corner room with a view of the street and church.

Her second mentor, John Keble, passed away on March 29, 1865. Her grief was great, but she continued to put all of her energy into writing and teaching high moral values ​​by focusing on the young girls, and preparing good wives and mothers and becoming.

She was an immensely prolific writer and authored over 200 works that were received by a large readership.

Charlotte Yonge died on March 24, 1901. She is buried in the cemetery on the east side of Otterbourner Church, surrounded by her family. Her grave is marked with a marble slab and a cross. John Keble found his final resting place nearby.

Works (selection)

literature

Web links

Wikisource: Charlotte Mary Yonge  - Sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Charlotte Yonge's works in alphabetical order - Aunt Charlotte's Scripture Readings (1876)
  2. ↑ Charlotte M. Yonge: John Keble's Parishes, Chapter 9
  3. ↑ - Some voices on the book "The Heir of Redclyffe"
  4. ^ Issues of “The Monthly packet” in the Internet Archive
  5. ↑ Biography written by CD Merriman for Jalic Inc. 2005


personal data
SURNAME Yonge, Charlotte Mary
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English writer in the Victorian era
DATE OF BIRTH August 11, 1823
PLACE OF BIRTH Otterbourne
DATE OF DEATH May 24, 1901
Place of death Otterbourne