Frances Alice Blogg Chesterton (28 June 1869 – 12 December 1938) was an English author of verse, songs and school drama. The wife of

G. K. Chesterton Gilbert Keith Chesterton (29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936) was an English author, philosopher, Christian apologist, journalist and magazine editor, and literary and art critic. Chesterton created the fictional priest-detective Father Brow ...

, she had a large role in his career as his

amanuensis An amanuensis ( ) ( ) or scribe is a person employed to write or type what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. It may also be a person who signs a document on behalf of another under the latter's authority. In some aca ...

and personal manager.

Early life

Frances was born on 28 June 1869, the first of seven children of George William Blogg and Blanche ().Nancy Carpentier Brown, ''The Woman Who Was Chesterton'' (Charlotte, NC, 2015). Frances's mother taught her and her sisters to think independently, having them attend London's first kindergarten. She was educated at a progressive Ladies' School in

Fitzroy Square Fitzroy Square is a Georgian architecture, Georgian garden square, square in London, England. It is the only one in the central London area known as Fitzrovia. The square is one of the area's main features, this once led to the surrounding di ...

run by Rosalie and Minna Praetorius, followed by Notting Hill High School. Her father died when she was fourteen years old. Later, she attended St Stephen's College for two years as a pupil teacher. She taught

Sunday school ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...

at an Anglican church in Bedford Park. There, she became very involved in her faith by reading the Bible and devoting herself to the saints. In 1895, Frances began working as a secretary and administrator at the Parents' National Educational Union. She planned and organised conferences, gave speeches, and edited their publications until she married Chesterton.

Marriage

Blogg first met Chesterton in 1896 and the two married on 28 June 1901 in

St Mary Abbots St Mary Abbots is a Church (building), church located on Kensington High Street and the corner of Kensington Church Street in London W8. The present church structure was built in 1872 to the designs of Sir George Gilbert Scott, who combined ne ...

, Kensington. Throughout their marriage, Frances encouraged his writing; she worked as a manager, keeping his appointments, diary, and accounts, hiring his typists, and negotiating on his behalf with publishers."Requiescant"
, ''

The Tablet ''The Tablet'' is a Catholic Church, Catholic international weekly review published in London. Brendan Walsh, previously literary editor and then acting editor, was appointed editor in July 2017. History ''The Tablet'' was launched in 1840 by ...

'', 17 December 1938. Retrieved 11 November 2015. admired Frances's faith and how she lived it out by reading the Bible, teaching Sunday school, and taking care of the sick and elderly. Frances introduced him to the

Holy Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...

and Jesus. In Chesterton's poem '' The Ballad of the White Horse'', he gives Frances the recognition of this impact in his life, showing that she was the reason he converted:

Therefore I bring these rhymes to you
Who brought the cross to me.

Frances was received into the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

on 1 November 1926, four years after her husband. Frances's faith was tested while coping with her brother's suicide, yet the Chestertons helped one another through hard times to maintain their relationship with Jesus. Each Christmas, she wrote a poem for their Christmas card, one of which, "How far is it to Bethlehem?", was later published as the hymn "Is It Far To Bethlehem?".Anne Thaxter Eaton, ed., ''Welcome Christmas! A Garland Of Poems'' (New York, 1955).

Death and legacy

In 1909, the couple moved to

Beaconsfield Beaconsfield ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, northwest of central London and southeast of Aylesbury. Three other towns are within : Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High Wycombe. The ...

, Buckinghamshire, where they lived until their deaths. She was widowed on 14 June 1936, and died on 12 December 1938. The Charity of Frances Alice Chesterton was established by her will and was registered as a charity in 1965 (registered charity number 252034). It supports the work of the Catholic Church in the parish of

Works

Plays

* ''The Children's Crusade'' * ''Sir Cleges'' *''The Christmas Gift'' *''Piers Plowman's Pilgrimage'' *''The Three Kings'' *''Legends of Gods and Saints''

Christmas Card Poetry

*''Christmas 1911 In Her Warm Arms Our Lady'' *''Christmas 1912 Upon a Little Bank of Grass'' *''Christmas 1917 How Far Is It To Bethlehem?'' *''Christmas 1918 Seen and Unseen'' *''Christmas 1921 The Beast of Burden'' *''Christmas 1922 A Ballade of Christmas'' *''Christmas 1923 The Crusaders’ Carol'' *''Christmas 1925 The Carol of Three Brothers'' *''Christmas 1926 A Lullaby Carol'' *''Christmas 1927 Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh'' *''Christmas 1928 What Manner of Salutation?'' *''Christmas 1929 Sed Ex Deo Nati Sunt'' *''Christmas 1930 The Cradle of the Winds (Notre Dame)'' *''Christmas 1931 The Lowly Gifts'' *''Christmas 1932 And It Was Winter'' *''Christmas 1933 Lux Mundi'' *''Christmas 1934 In Coelo Et Terra'' *''Christmas 1937 Now Is Our Salvation''

Music

*Words to Geoffrey Shaw's "A Lullaby Carol"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blogg, Frances 1869 births 1938 deaths 20th-century English writers People educated at Notting Hill & Ealing High School Converts to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism Amanuenses G. K. Chesterton