Jane Alice Sargant (1789–1869) was a British writer who produced conservative and religious writing in a number of genres, including children's fiction, poetry, biographies, plays,

conduct book Conduct books or conduct literature is a genre of books that attempt to educate the reader on social norms and ideals. As a genre, they began in either the High Middle Ages or the Late Middle Ages, although antecedents such as ''The Maxims of P ...

s, and political pamphlets. Jane Alice Smith was born on 1789 in the

Isle of Ely The Isle of Ely () is a historic region around the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. Between 1889 and 1965, it formed an Administrative counties of England, administrative county. Etymology Its name has been said to ...

, the daughter of John Smith, a surgeon, and Eleanor Moore. Of her several siblings, she was closest to

Sir Harry Smith, 1st Baronet Lieutenant-General Sir Henry George Wakelyn Smith, 1st Baronet, GCB (28 June 1787 – 12 October 1860) was a notable English soldier and military commander in the British Army of the early 19th century. A veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, he is a ...

, a British Army officer and Governor and High Commissioner for Southern Africa. She married Daniel Sargant in 1807. He died in 1826 and she became a school teacher in Hackney and prolific author to support herself. She died in Hackney in 1869. Her collection ''Sonnets and Other Poems'' contains many pro-war poems. She wrote a number of books published by the

Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) is a United Kingdom, UK-based Christians, Christian charity. Founded in 1698 by Thomas Bray, it has worked for over 300 years to increase awareness of the Christians, Christian faith in the Un ...

, whose stories didactically instruct children on their responsibilities. Her conservative political tracts include 1832's pro-slavery ''An Address to the Females of Great Britain'' and 1852's ''Remarks Occasioned by Strictures,'' which inveighed against American women for not doing more to ''end'' slavery.

Bibliography

Poetry

* ''Sonnets and Other Poems'' Hatchard, 1817. * ''Extracts from the pilgrimage of St. Caroline : with notes, by an Englishwoman'' W. Wright, 1821

Children's fiction

* ''The Broken Arm: A National School Story''. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1847. * ''The Brothers''. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1848. * ''Shades of Character: First Series''. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1850. * ''Ann Ash: or, The Foundling''. 1 vol. London: J. H. and J. Parker, 1851. * ''Let Well Alone''. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1851. * ''But Once''. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1851. * ''The Good Neighbours: A Tale of the Cholera in 1849''. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1852. * ''No Lie Thrives: A Tale''. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1853. * ''Home Tales, Founded on Fact''. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1853. * ''Charlie Burton: A Tale''. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1856. * ''Fireside Tales''. 2 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1857.

Fiction

* ''Ringstead Abbey: or, The Stranger's Grave; with Other Tales'' (1830)

Pamphlets

* ''An address to the Peers of England'' (1820) * ''A Letter to the Queen'' (1820) * ''An Address to the Females of Great Britain, on the Propriety of Their Petitioning Parliament for the Abolition of Negro Slavery'' (1833) * ''Remarks Occasioned by Strictures in the Courier and New York Enquirer of December 1852'' (1853)

Conduct books

* ''Letters from a Mother to her Daughter at or Going to School Pointing out the Duties Towards her Maker, her Governness, her Schoolfellows and Herself'' (1825)

Plays

* ''Joan of Arc'' (1840)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sargant, Jane Alice Created via preloaddraft 1789 births 1869 deaths British women writers