Elinor Mary Sweetman (c. 1860/1861 – 1922) was a
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
Irish poet and author who worked with both her sisters.
Early life
Sweetman was born in
County Dublin
County Dublin ( or ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and holds its capital city, Dublin. It is located on the island's east coast, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Until 1994, County Dubli ...
to Michael James Sweetman (1829–1864), of Lamberton Park,
Queen's County,
JP,
High Sheriff of Queen's County
The High Sheriff of Queen's County was the British Crown's judicial representative in Queen's County, Ireland (now County Laois), Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the off ...
, and (Mary) Margaret, only child and heir of Michael Powell, of
Fitzwilliam Square
Fitzwilliam Square () is a Georgian garden square in the south of central Dublin, Ireland. It was the last of the five Georgian squares in Dublin to be built, and is the smallest.
The middle of the square is composed of a private park, which f ...
, Dublin.
She had two brothers and three sisters. The Sweetman family were landed gentry of Longtown,
County Kildare
County Kildare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the Local gove ...
, and per family tradition were "long settled in Dublin" and "previously resident near Callan and Newtown, County Kilkenny", tracing their line back to the mid-1500s.
After her father's death, when she was a small child, the remaining family moved to
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
in 1873 and she spent her summers in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. Her sisters,
Agnes Sweetman and
Mary Elizabeth Sweetman were also writers. With her sisters she began two family magazines: the ''Ivy Home Magazine''’ and ''Ivy Home Library''. Her poetry was used in several of her sisters' novels.
She remained unmarried and was one of her mother's heirs after her death in 1912.
Sweetman was a poet and writer published in magazines and periodicals as well as in collections of poetry and her own folios. Her work was often illustrated by well known artists including
Arthur Wallis Mills
Arthur Wallis Mills (often abbreviated A. Wallis Mills, as well as A. W. Mills) (1878–1940) was a British artist. As well as traditional art forms, Mills also produced artwork and occasional cartoons for ''Punch Magazine'', ''The Strand Magaz ...
and
Elizabeth Gulland
Elizabeth Gulland (1857 – 6 November 1934) was a Scottish-born printmaker and painter.
Background
Elizabeth Gulland was born in 1857 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She attended Edinburgh Ladies’ College and Edinburgh Atelier, before moving to the ...
. Though she has largely been ignored as a writer she was critically celebrated at the time and is a clear example of the poetry of women at the time discussing religion and romance.
Selected works
* Carmina Mariana; an English anthology in verse in honour of or in relation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Edited by Shipley, Orby, 1832-1916, ed; (1894)
* ''Footsteps of the Gods and other poema'' (1893)
* ''Pastorals and other poems'' (1899)
* ''The wild orchard'' (1911)
* ''Psalms, verse'' (1911)
* ''The Oxford Book Of Victorian Verse'' (1912)
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Further reading
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References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweetman, Elinor
1860s births
1922 deaths
Irish women novelists
Date of birth unknown