Author profile
Charlotte Riddell
1832 - 1906
Best known work
- George Geith of Fen Court, 1864
Other well known work(s)
- Mortomley's Estate, 1874
- A Struggle for Fame, 1883
Genres
- Fiction - Novels
- Fiction - Short Stories
Nom de plume
Charlotte Eliza Lawson Cowan, Charlotte Eliza Lawson Riddell, Mrs J.H.Riddell, F.G.Trafford, Rainey Hawthorne
Social class
Working class
Parental background
Her father was an invalided flax and cotton-spinner. Riddell wrote to support herself.
At publication of best known work
- Age: 32
- Marital status: Married
- Number of children: 0
Physical description
Helen Black in Notable Women Authors of the Day described her at the age of sixty: "not a silver hair is visible on the soft brown hair, which is simply rolled into a neat coil, high on the back of her head, and fastened by a tortoiseshell comb. The deep grey eyes are undimmed […] and when she smiles, two―yes two―absolutely girlish dimples light up the expressive countenance. She is tall, has a good carriage, and is dressed in black; she has worn no colours for over ten years [since the death of her husband]" (quoted in Wilkie Collins, Le Fanu and Others by S. M Ellis, 1934).
Did you know?
Riddell was the victim of theft when her purse containing 10s and cheques worth £300 was stolen from her pocket. The suspect was arrested and positively identified by Riddell a week later and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment (see Old Bailey Online ref t18710501-404).
Additional information
Michael Flowers has built a very comprehensive website.