Elizabeth Isabella Spence (12 January 1768 – 27 July 1832) was a Scottish novelist and travel writer.

Life

Spence was born in

Dunkeld Dunkeld (, , from , "fort of the Caledonians") is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The location of a historic cathedral, it lies on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. Dunkeld lies close to the geological Highland Boundar ...

in 1768 and after being orphaned she went to live with an aunt and uncle in London, but they also died and she had to quickly turn her hobby of writing into a means of income. Her uncle was

James Fordyce James Fordyce, Doctor of Divinity, DD (1720–1 October 1796), was a Scottish Presbyterian minister and poet. He is best known for his collection of sermons published in 1766 as ''Sermons for Young Women'', popularly known as ''Fordyce's Sermon ...

, who was the author of

Sermons to Young Women ''Sermons to Young Women'' (1766), often called ''Fordyce's Sermons'', is a two-volume compendium of sermons compiled by James Fordyce, a Scottish Presbyterian clergyman, which were originally delivered by himself and others. They were intended ...

, and her work was said to reflect this moral approach. She initially wrote sentimental fiction but then turned her attention to travel writing. Her approach was to travel during summer composing letters and anecdotes about her travels which she then later edited into a book. She is sometimes noted because she sent notes to other women writers of the time. Spence's travel writing attracted some criticism in her lifetime, but Pam Perkins has commented that Spence emphasised that inspirational effect that the Scottish landscape could have on women in the time. Spence witnessed the countryside being opened up and she made literary references where the scenery was mentioned in contemporary culture like the novels of Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

. Spence died in Chelsea in 1832 of a stroke.

Works

* ''The Nobility of the Heart'', 1804 * ''The Wedding Day'', 1807 * ''Summer Excursions through part of England and Wales'', 1809 * ''Sketches of the Present Manners, Custom, and Scenery of Scotland'', 1811 * ''Commemorative Feelings'', 1812 * ''The Curate and his Daughter: a Cornish Tale'', 1813

Chawton House Chawton House is a listed building, Grade II* listed manor house in Hampshire on the South side of Chawton village, and the present building was started in 1580. In the late 18th century it was the home of Edward Austen Knight, a wealthy bro ...

has made available
PDF
of this novel. * ''The Spanish Guitar'', 1815 * ''A Traveller's Tale of the Last Century'', 1819 * ''Old Stories'', 1822 * ''How to be rid of a Wife'', 1823 * ''Dame Rebecca Berry'', 1827E I Spence
Orlando Project, retrieved 20 January 2015. * ''Tales of Welsh Society and Scenery''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spence, Elizabeth Isabelle 1768 births 1832 deaths Writers from Perth and Kinross Scottish women novelists Scottish travel writers British women travel writers 19th-century Scottish novelists 19th-century Scottish women writers