Emily Sarah Holt (1836–1893) was an English

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

ist. She was born at Stubbylee,

Bacup Bacup ( , ) is a town in the Rossendale Borough in Lancashire, England, in the South Pennines close to Lancashire's boundaries with West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. The town is in the Rossendale Valley and the upper Irwell Valley, east ...

, in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, 25 April 1836. She was the eldest daughter of John Holt whose wife Judith was the 3rd daughter of James Mason of Greens (who was JP for Lancashire and the

West Riding The West Riding of Yorkshire was one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the riding was an administrative county named County of York, West Riding. The lieutenancy at that time included the city of York a ...

). It is said she was educated at

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

. In late 1893 when at

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and civil parish in the North Yorkshire District, district and North Yorkshire, county of North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist de ...

, she became ill and went to her brother in

Balham Balham () is an List of areas of London, area in south-west London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, with small parts extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Lambeth. It has been settled since Saxon times and appears in t ...

(London), where she died on

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...

. She was buried in the Church of St Saviour's, Bacup, where there is a memorial. Holt had written over fifty books, mainly for

children A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...

. Most of Holt's work can be classified as

historical novels Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the Setting (narrative), setting of particular real past events, historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literatur ...

(52 are listed in the BML catalogue). Holt's work has a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

religious theme.

Works

Novels unless otherwise stated *''Memoirs Of Royal Ladies'' 2 volumes 1861 *''Mistress Margery'' 1868 *''Ashcliffe Hall'' 1870 *''Sister Rose'' 1870 *''Isoult Barry Of Wynscote, Her Diurnal Book'' 1871 *''Robin Tremayne'' 1872 *''The Well In The Desert'' 1872 *''Verena non-fiction'' 1873 *''The White Rose Of Langley'' 1875 *''Clare Avery'' 1876 *''Imogen'' 1876 *''For The Master's Sake'' 1877 *''Lettice Eden'' 1877 *''Margery's Son'' 1878 *''Lady Sybil's Choice'' 1879 *''Earl Hubert's Daughter'' 1880 *''The Maidens' Lodge'' 1880 *''Joyce Morrell's Harvest'' 1881 *''At Ye Grene Griffin'' 1882 *''Red And White'' 1882 *''Stephen Mainwaring's Wooing, With Other Fireside Tales,'' (w others) (short stories) ''1882'' *''Not For Him 1883'' *''The Way Of The Cross,'' (short stories) ''1883'' *''John De Wycliffe, The First Of The Reformers,'' biography ''1884'' *''Ye Olden Time,'' non-fiction 1884 *''The Lord Mayor'' 1884 *''Wearyholme'' 1884 *''The Lord Of The Marches'' 1884 *''A Tangled Web'' 1885 *'''Feed My Sheep non-fiction 1886 *''In All Time Of Our Tribulation,'' fiction 1887 *''All For The Best'' 1887 *''The Slave Girl Of Pompeii'' 1887 *''Our Little Lady'' 1887 *''Out In The Forty-Five'' 1888 *''In Convent Walls'' 1888 *''King And Priest,'' non-fiction 1888 *''The Pulpit And The Pews,'' non-fiction 1888 *''A Talk With The Vicar,'' non-fiction 1888 *''The King's Daughters'' 1888 *''It Might Have Been'' 1889 *''Minster Lovel'' 1890 *''Behind The Veil'' 1890 *''The White Lady Of Hazelwood'' 1891 *''Countess Maud'' 1892 *''One Snowy Night'' 1893 *''The Harvest Of Yesterday'' 1893 *''Princess Adelaide'' 1893 *''All's Well'' 1893 *''The Priest On His Throne, And The Priests At Their Altars,'' essays 1894 *''Through The Storm'' 1895 *''The Gold That Glitters'' 1896 *''Lights In The Darkness biography'' 1896

References

External links

* * *
Evangelical historiography: a Victorian popular example
Emily Sarah Holt at The Little Professor on Victorian Literature. Accessed January 2008

at Athlstane online publishers. Accessed January 2008
Reviving the reformation: Victorian women writers and the protestant historical novel
Author: Burstein, Miriam, Women's Writing, Volume 12, Number 1, March 2005, pp. 73–84(12). Publisher: Routledge {{DEFAULTSORT:Holt, Emily Sarah 1836 births 1893 deaths 19th-century English novelists 19th-century English women writers People from Bacup English historical novelists English women historical novelists