Elizabeth Sewell
| Elizabeth Missing Sewell | |
|---|---|
Elizabeth Sewell
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| Born |
19 February 1815 Newport, Isle of Wight, England |
| Died | 17 August 1906 (aged 91) Bonchurch, Isle of Wight, England |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | English |
| Period | 19th century |
| Genre | Children's literature |
Elizabeth Missing Sewell (1815–1906) was an English author of religious and educational texts notable in the 19th century.
Elizabeth Missing Sewell was born at High Street, Newport, Isle of Wight, on 19 February 1815, was third daughter in a family of seven sons and five daughters of Thomas Sewell (1775–1842), solicitor, of Newport, and his wife Jane Edwards (1773–1848). She was sister of Henry Sewell, the first premier of New Zealand, of James Edwards Sewell, warden of New College, Oxford, of Richard Clarke Sewell, reader in law to the University of Melbourne and the author of a large number of legal works, and of William Sewell, clergyman and author. Elizabeth was educated first at Miss Crooke's school at Newport, and afterwards at the Misses Aldridge's school, Bath. At the age of fifteen she went home, and joined her sister Ellen, two years her senior, in teaching her younger sisters.
About 1840 her brother William introduced her to some of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, including Keble, Newman and Henry Wilberforce. Influenced by the religious stir of the period, she published in 1840, in The Cottage Monthly, Stories illustrative of the Lord's Prayer, which appeared in book form in 1843. Like all her early works, these stories were represented as having been edited by her brother William.
The family experienced money difficulties through the failure of two local banks, and the father died in 1842 deep in debt. Elizabeth and the other children undertook to pay off the creditors, and set aside each year, from her literary earnings, a certain sum until all was liquidated. Until 1844 the family lived at Pidford Manor or Ventnor, but in that year Mrs. Sewell and her daughters settled at Sea View, Bonchurch. Elizabeth bought the house, enlarged it in 1854, and later changed the name to Ashcliff. At Bonchurch, she was an acquaintance of William Adams, another High Church author of religious works.
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