Lady Morgan
Lady Morgan, born Sydney Owenson around December 25, 1776, was an influential Irish novelist known for her significant contributions to literature during the 19th century. She grew up in a theatrical family, which greatly influenced her education and career. Her writing journey began with her debut novel, *St. Clair: Or, The Heiress of Desmond*, published when she was just 21. However, it was her 1806 novel *The Wild Irish Girl* that catapulted her into the limelight, earning her acclaim in both Dublin and London literary circles.
Morgan's work often explored themes of Irish independence and Catholic Emancipation, leading to her being viewed as a controversial figure by the English government. Throughout her career, she produced several other notable works, including *O'Donnel*, *Florence Macarthy*, and *The O’Briens and the O’Flahertys*, which further solidified her reputation. Despite governmental scrutiny, she was well-regarded by contemporaries like Sir Walter Scott and Lord Byron. In a historic achievement, Morgan became the first female writer to receive a pension from the British government in 1837 for her literary contributions. Though many of her works are now out of print, they played a vital role in shaping cultural discussions during her lifetime and continue to be of interest to scholars and readers today.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Lady Morgan
Fiction Writer
- Born: Probably December 25, 1776
- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
- Died: April 14, 1859
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Lady Morgan (Sydney Owenson) was born probably on December 25, 1776, while her parents were on board a ship crossing the Irish Sea from Holyhead to Dublin. Her father Robert Owenson was an Irish actor and her mother was Jane Hill, an English Protestant. Morgan had one younger sister Olivia. Their mother died in 1789. Since Owenson was constantly crisscrossing Ireland with various acting companies, their education became haphazard as her father sent them to several different boarding schools. When he was beset by a long period of unemployment, Morgan supported the family.
Her first employment was as a governess; then she began writing and published St. Clair: Or, The Heiress of Desmond when she was twenty-one. The novel’s success launched her career as a writer. In 1806, she published The Wild Irish Girl. The novel was an enormous success and gained her entry into the most prestigious literary and social circles in Dublin and London. The Marquis and Marchioness of Abercorn became her patrons and she joined their household. There she met her husband Charles Morgan, an Englishman who was the personal physician of the Marquis. After a lengthy engagement, during which Charles Morgan was knighted, they married and moved to Dublin.
Lady Morgan continued to publish novels, essays and travel books. Her husband often collaborated on the travel books. She wrote well into the nineteenth century, consistently receiving high praise from both the reading public and from other writers such as Sir Walter Scott and Lord Byron. She died on April 14, 1859.
Throughout her writing career, Lady Morgan was considered a controversial figure and, often in the opinion of the English government, a subversive and dangerous individual. Her novel The Wild Irish Girl established her at the beginning of her career as a champion of Ireland. In Catholic and Liberal circles, she was referred to by the name of the novel’s heroine Glorvina.
From 1814 to 1827, she published three controversial novels O’Donnel, Florence Macarthy, and The O’Briens and the O’Flahertys. These works dealt with the subjects of Irish independence and Catholic Emancipation. As a result, she, her husband, and their house at 35 Kildare Street, where Dublin Liberals met regularly, were constantly under surveillance by the British police. Even her travel books were viewed with suspicion by the government, which believed they contained radical political views.
In spite of the government’s disapproval and the scathing criticism of her work in the Quarterly Review, her popularity as a writer both in the British Isles and abroad did not wane. In 1837, she received a pension from the British government for her contribution to literature. She was the first female writer to receive such an honor. Her books are for the most part out of print today but the quality of her writing and the influential role that it played during her lifetime warrant efforts to make them accessible to the present-day reader.