Author profile

Charlotte Yonge

1823 - 1901

Best known work

  • The Heir of Redclyffe, 1853

Other well known work(s)

  • The Daisy Chain, 1856

Genres

  • Fiction - Novels
  • Journalism

Nom de plume

Charlotte Mary Yonge

Social class

Middle class

Parental background

Yonge's father was a soldier from a clerical family with some landed property. Yonge was well-educated by her father, her mother and visiting scholars and seems to have had a comfortable and happy upbringing.

At publication of best known work

  • Age: 30
  • Marital status: Unmarried
  • Number of children: 0

Physical description

Jemima (Wedderburn) Blackburn (1823-1909), a Scottish naturalist and painter, recalled Yonge "as very good looking with dark hair and fine eyes, [she] spoke pleasantly and was a little above middle height" (From the Letters of Charlotte Mary Yonge edited by Charlotte Mitchell, Ellen Jordon and Helen Schinske).

Did you know?

Yonge's first book, Le Chateau de Melville, was written in French and published when she was just fifteen. Despite her linguistic ability, Yonge lived in the same Hampshire village, Otterbourne, all of her life and travelled relatively little.

Additional information

The Charlotte Mary Yonge Fellowship website at has lots of accessible and interesting information to offer about Yonge. The letters of Charlotte Yonge (edited by Charlotte Mitchell, Ellen Jordan and Helen Schinske) can be found and offer a wonderful insight into Yonge's life and career through around 1500 letters.

 

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Last edited: 22/01/2019 10:14:00