Anne Mozley
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Anne Mozley (17 September 1809 – 27 June 1891)Albert Frederick Pollard. ''Anne Mozley'' Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 39. p. 249. was a British writer and critic. She lived in
Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...
and the small village of Barrow-upon-Trent, which is south of the city. She has been described as an almost anonymous author, as few of her works were attributed to her on first publication. She is credited with the first review of
George Eliot Mary Ann Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880; alternatively Mary Anne or Marian), known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wrot ...
's book, ''
Adam Bede ''Adam Bede'' was the first novel by English author George Eliot, pen name of Mary Ann Evans, first published in 1859. It was published pseudonymously, even though Evans was a well-published and highly respected scholar of her time. The novel ...
'', that recognized that it had to be written by a woman.Sister as Journalist: The Almost Anonymous Career of Anne Mozley
Ellen Jordan, Victorian Periodicals Review, Vol. 37, No. 3 (Fall, 2004), pp. 315-341, Published by: Research Society for Victorian Periodicals


Background

Anne Mozley was born on 17 September 1809 in
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire Gainsborough () is a market town and civil parish in the West Lindsey Non-metropolitan district, district of Lincolnshire, England. The population was 20,842 at the 2011 census, and estimated at 23,243 in 2019. It lies on the east bank of the ...
into a family of established book-sellers, publishers and printers, including her brothers
Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...
and James Bowling Mozley. Her family moved whilst she was still a child to
Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...
where she was educated at home.Ellen Jordan, ‘Mozley, Anne (1809–1891)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 17 November 2014
/ref> Mozley was known as an educated and religiously interested individual. After taking over her brother Thomas's house, she dedicated her time to literary and written works, many of which she published between 1843 and 1849. She then edited books for the ''
Christian Remembrancer The ''Christian Remembrancer'' was a high-church periodical which ran from 1819 to 1868. Joshua Watson and Henry Handley Norris, the owners of the ''British Critic'', encouraged Frederick Iremonger to start the ''Christian Remembrancer'' as a ...
.'' Mozley continued to write and publish works until her death in 1891. She became blind two years before her death. However, she was remembered for her many writings, particularly because her sister Fanny republished many of her earlier essays that had been published without attribution. Computer analysis has identified further works which were known to exist but could not be otherwise identified.


Major works

In many of Mozley's reviews and editorials, she aimed to show women's capability in a feminine and domestic aspect rather than a brilliant one. She also wanted to prove women's courage and intelligence because they were normally defined by their boring and bland duties of everyday life. During the time period of Mozley's writing career, women were characterized by their commitment to their husbands. The first time Mozley's work came out under her own name was when she edited her brother's and Newman's works. After this she also edited and wrote for '' Blackwood's'', '' Bentley's'', the ''Christian Remembrancer'' and the '' Saturday Review''. Mozley's work consisted of inserted essays between lead articles that focused on social values and human behavior. She strove to get her work known, but preferred to have it published anonymously because of the ease and freedom of expression that she felt came with anonymity. She also felt that the public did not accept the writing of women and therefore did not want her sex to be revealed with her work. Conversely it was Mozley's review of
George Eliot Mary Ann Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880; alternatively Mary Anne or Marian), known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wrot ...
's book ''
Adam Bede ''Adam Bede'' was the first novel by English author George Eliot, pen name of Mary Ann Evans, first published in 1859. It was published pseudonymously, even though Evans was a well-published and highly respected scholar of her time. The novel ...
'' that first recognised that it had to be written by a woman. Mozley argues that women are just as ingenious and capable as men are when it comes to writing and publishing. She believes that there are two different types of women that exist; the clever woman and the ideal woman. The clever woman uses logic and gains intellect by focusing on her own needs. The ideal woman, on the other hand, bases thought on intuition and not reason. The ideal woman tends to, therefore, fall obedient to male power. Her main argument, seen through her own work, is that writing should be an occupation for women as well as men so that they can make a living off of it.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mozley, Anne 1809 births 1891 deaths 19th-century English writers Writers from Derby 19th-century English women writers