Cornelius Clarke continues his series on ‘Supernatural Writers of Ireland’ 

 

It’s an unfortunate truth that many female writers of the Victorian age, who saw immense success during their lifetime, then slip into obscurity over time, whereas in contrast, the number of their male contemporaries continued to be remembered. Which brings us to Charlotte Riddell.

Born in Carrickfergus in County Antrim, on the 30th September, 1832, Charlotte Eliza Lawson Cowan was the youngest daughter of James and Ellen. Educated at home, her intelligence and abilities in creativity were encouraged by her various tutors. Her passion for writing stories was such that before she had learned to write, she would dictate, while her mother put pen to paper for her.

In 1851, tragedy struck and her father died, leaving mother and daughter to fend for themselves. They reluctantly moved to a smaller house in Dundonald, County Down. Four years went by as they struggled financially, with the family fortune slowly dwindling, it was decided in 1855, that the two women would move to London. Charlotte hoped that she would be able to support them both through writing.

It was becoming more acceptable for female authors, but it was still not a level playing field and women were far less successful that their male counterparts, which led many to submit their manuscripts under a gender-neutral name.

So it was with Charlotte, who using the name R.V.M. Sparling saw the publication of her first novel, Zuriel’s Grandchild, in 1856. It was a hollow triumph, as her mother, succumbed to cancer and died.

The following year, under the pen name Rainey Hawthorne, her second novel, The Ruling Passion, was published. It was during this time that she married Joseph Hadley Riddell, a civil engineer from the north of England.

They lived in North London for a time, but eventually moving out of the city. In 1858, using the name that she would stay with for several years, F.G. Trafford, she published her third novel, The Moors and the Fens, which illustrated her ability to write of places she had never visited. It was a resounding success, but because of Joseph’s continuing ill-advised business investments, the money soon started to run out.

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own