May Agnes Fleming
May Agnes Fleming was a prominent Canadian author born in St. John, New Brunswick, to Irish immigrant parents. She gained fame in the latter half of the nineteenth century for her serialized fiction, becoming one of the most financially successful women of her time, earning over ten thousand dollars annually. Fleming's literary journey began in childhood, influenced by her education under nuns and her admiration for Charles Dickens. By fifteen, she had her first story published, which led to a prolific writing career under various pseudonyms, including Cousin May Carleton.
Despite her literary achievements, Fleming faced personal challenges, including a tumultuous marriage to William Fleming, which ended in separation due to his alcoholism and her rising fame. Her stories, marked by complex plots and strong characters, resonated with readers, evidenced by works like "Lost for a Woman," featuring a bold, independent female lead. Tragically, Fleming's life was cut short at age thirty-nine due to Bright's disease, but her legacy continued, complicated by her will's stipulations regarding her children’s inheritance, reflecting her contentious relationship with her husband.
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Subject Terms
May Agnes Fleming
Author
- Born: November 14, 1840
- Birthplace: Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
- Died: March 24, 1880
Biography
Born in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, to Irish immigrant parents, May Agnes Fleming grew up to be one of the most popular and prolific writers of serialized fiction in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Though she died at age thirty-nine, her success amassed her a great fortune, and she earned well over ten thousand dollars per year and was one of the most financially successful women of her time.
Fleming’s father, Bernard Early, was a ship’s carpenter in New Brunswick, and he later owned a grocery store. As a child, Fleming was an eager reader. She studied under the nuns at the convent of the Sacred Heart and took a special interest in the work of Charles Dickens. She composed fairy tales for the amusement of her classmates, who were only moderately impressed. Her stories were better received by editors, and at age fifteen she had her first story accepted by The New York Mercury. That initial success spurred Fleming into a frenzy of writing. Her stories appeared in papers in Saint John, Boston, and New York, under various pseudonyms, including Cousin May Carleton and M. A. Earlie. Several of her serial stories were compiled in book form, and she quickly became the exclusive talent of the Philadelphia-based publication Saturday Night. Regardless of these successes, she still called Saint John her home. As a young woman, she worked as a schoolteacher for a while, and when her family moved to a new address in order to open their grocery store, she met William Fleming, the son of a neighboring blacksmith. They married in 1865 after a very brief courtship. Eventually they had four children.
It was not until 1875, following the death of her father, that the Flemings moved to the United States. They settled in Brooklyn, New York, after a brief stay in Boston. Soon after their arrival in New York, Fleming left her husband; her departure was the result of tensions occasioned by his alcoholism and her great success. Fleming’s complex plots, compelling dialogue, and interesting characters made her popular. One of her most famous works, Lost for a Woman, told the story of a tough and independent circus performer named Mimi Fulton who had the audacity to drink among men and to abandon a troubled marriage. Fleming was diagnosed with Bright’s disease, a kidney ailment, and died in 1880. Her rancorous relationship with her husband transcended her death, however, as she left explicit instruction in her will to exclude him from any access to her children’s inheritance.