Rosaline Masson (1867–1949) was a Scottish author and a prolific writer of novels, biographies, histories and other works.

Life

Rosaline Masson was born on 6 May 1867 in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

and was the daughter of suffrage campaigner

Emily Rosaline Orme Emily Rosaline Orme (1835–1915) was a leader of the Edinburgh National Society for Women's Suffrage. She was a noted campaigner for women's suffrage in Scotland. Early life Orme was born in 1835, one of eight children to parents Eliza Andrew ...

and

David Masson David Mather Masson LLD DLitt (2 December 18226 October 1907), was a Scottish academic, supporter of women's suffrage, literary critic and historian. Biography He was born in Aberdeen, the son of William Masson, a stone-cutter, and his wif ...

, Professor of

Rhetoric Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate par ...

and

English Literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. She was one of four siblings, a brother

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

(1858–1937), and two sisters

Flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

, later a nurse and suffragist, and Helen. She sometimes called herself 'Rosaline Orme Masson' perhaps in imitation of her brother, David Orme Masson, however her middle name is not listed on her birth or death certificates. An active community campaigner throughout her life, in 1919 she became one of the first women to join the ruling Council of the influential conservationist body the

Cockburn Association The Cockburn Association (Edinburgh's Civic Trust) is one of the world's oldest architectural conservation and urban planning monitoring organisations, founded in 1875. The Scottish judge Henry Cockburn (1779–1854) was a prominent campaigner t ...

. Masson was involved in the organisation until 1935, writing a history of its first 50 years in 1925, ''Scotia's Darling Seat, 1875–1925''. She died on 7 December 1949 in Edinburgh. She is buried in

Grange Cemetery The Grange (originally St Giles' Grange) is an affluent suburb of Edinburgh, just south of the city centre, with Morningside, Edinburgh, Morningside and Greenhill, Edinburgh, Greenhill to the west, Newington, Edinburgh, Newington to the east, ...

with her parents.

Literary associations

Through her father, Masson encountered many of the literary giants of her day who visited their family home in Edinburgh. She has many

anecdotes An anecdote is "a story with a point", such as to communicate an abstract idea about a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative or to characterize by delineating a specific quirk or trait. Occasionally humorou ...

of these encounters in her book, ''Poets, Patriots, and Lovers'', that give insights into their personalities. For example, she has a 'hazy memory' of

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, ...

"standing by my table stooping as he spread golden syrup on a slice of bread for me at my breakfast." Later, in April 1884, aged 16, she flirted innocently with the poet

Robert Browning Robert Browning (7 May 1812 – 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues put him high among the Victorian poets. He was noted for irony, characterization, dark humour, social commentary, historical settin ...

, then aged 71, who came over to her at breakfast and said:
She spent a fortnight or so with the philosopher

Herbert Spencer Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903) was an English philosopher, psychologist, biologist, anthropologist, and sociologist famous for his hypothesis of social Darwinism. Spencer originated the expression "survival of the fittest ...

at his home in Brighton. She recalled that Spencer abhorred casual visitors. When a star struck American came to visit, he was informed that "Mr Spencer is not able to receive visitors." The American gentleman replied: "But I have come all the way from New York on purpose, Sir! I assure you that with us the name of Herbert Spencer..." But this importuning was too much for the sofa-confined philosopher who called out: "Send him away! Don’t let him come in!" The reply was: "I have heard the voice of Herbert Spencer! I can now return to New York satisfied!" During one dinner with her family,

James Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

was not in a talkative mood. Many attempts were made to draw him out, until a lady ventured to ask Are you musical, Mr. Barrie?' The answer came gloomily: 'No, I’m not. I can never tell one tune from another. I dislike music.' After a moment’s pause, in the same subdued tone: 'I was musical critic on The _____ for several years.

Publications

Biographies

* ''

Pollock Pollock or pollack (pronounced ) is the common name used for either of the two species of North Atlantic marine fish in the genus ''Pollachius''. '' Pollachius pollachius'' is referred to as pollock in North America, Ireland and the United Ki ...

and Aytoun.'' Edinburgh:

Oliphant, Anderson and Ferrier Oliphant, Anderson and Ferrier was a Scottish publishing company based in the national capital Edinburgh. It produced many hundreds of books mainly on religious and biographical themes, especially during its heyday from about 1880 to 1910. It i ...

, 1898, ( "Famous Scots Series") *''

Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication ''Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's '' ...

''. London: The People's Books,1912. * ''

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as '' Treasure Island'', '' Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

''. London: The People's Books, 1912. * ''The life of

''. Edinburgh & London: W. & R. Chambers, 1923. * ''Poets, Patriots, and Lovers: Sketches and Memories of Famous People''. London
James Clarke & Co. Ltd
,

933 Year 933 ( CMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – Hugh of Provence, king of Italy, launches an expedition to Rome to remove ...

Histories

* ''Scotia's Darling Seat, 1875–1925 ... Illustrated, etc''. Edinburgh: R. Grant & Son, 1926 * ''A Short History of Scotland the Nation''. London:

Thomas Nelson & Sons Thomas Nelson is a publishing firm that began in West Bow, Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1798, as the namesake of its founder. It is a subsidiary of HarperCollins, the publishing unit of News Corp. It describes itself as a "world leading publisher ...

Ltd., 1942. * ''Scotland the Nation''. Edinburgh:

Ltd.,

934 Year 934 ( CMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Spring and Summer – The Hungarians make an alliance with the Pechenegs ...

* ''Edinburgh''. Described by Rosaline Masson, painted by

John Fulleylove John Fulleylove (18 Aug 1845 – 22 May 1908) was an English landscape artist and illustrator. Life Born in Leicester, he originally trained as an architect with local firm "Shenton and Baker", before becoming an artist in watercolours and oi ...

, London: Adam and Charles Black, 1904.

Edited works

* ''Three centuries of English poetry: being selections from

Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...

to Herrick'': with introductions and notes. London: Macmillan & Co., 1876. * In Praise of

. An anthology in prose and verse, (selected and edited), London:

Constable & Co A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

, 1912 * ''I can remember

''. (edited), Edinburgh & London: W. & R. Chambers, 1923. * ''

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

personally'' ... Edited and arranged by Rosaline Masson. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1914. * ''Use and Abuse of English: a hand-book of composition'' ... Fourth edition – revised. Edinburgh:

James Thin James Thin was a Scottish bookseller, stationer and publishing company. It was, until 2002, the principal academic bookshop in Edinburgh, with its main premises opposite Old College, University of Edinburgh on South Bridge. It also had branch ...

, 1924

Novels and stories

* ''My Poor Niece and other stories''. London:

T. F. Unwin T. Fisher Unwin was the London publishing house founded by Thomas Fisher Unwin, husband of British Liberal politician Jane Cobden in 1882. Unwin was a co-founder of the Johnson Club, formed 13 September 1884, to mark the hundred years since the ...

, 1893 * ''A Departure from Tradition, and other stories''. London: Bliss Sands & Co., 1898 * ''The Transgressors''. London:

Hodder & Stoughton Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette. History Early history The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged 14, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publishe ...

, 1899 * ''In Our Town''. novel London:

, 1901 * ''Leslie Farquhar''. London: John Murray, 1902 * ''Our Bye-Election''. Bristol
J. W. Arrowsmith
1908 * ''Nina''. London:

Macmillan & Co Macmillan Publishers (occasionally known as the Macmillan Group; formally Macmillan Publishers Ltd and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC) is a British publishing company traditionally considered to be one of the 'Big Five' English language publ ...

., 1911 * ''A Better Man''. London & Edinburgh: W. & R. Chambers,

928 Year 928 ( CMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * King Rudolph I loses the support of Herbert II, count of Vermandois, who controls the pr ...

Sources

* Births and deaths information available at the General Register Office for Scotland, Scotlands People Centre in Edinburgh, and also a
ScotlandsPeople
* ''Poets, Patriots, and Lovers : Sketches and Memories of Famous People'', London : James Clarke & Co. Ltd.,

* British Library catalogue
The British Library

Welcome to Open Library , Open Library

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Masson, Rosaline 1867 births 1949 deaths Writers from Edinburgh Scottish biographers Scottish women novelists Scottish non-fiction writers 19th-century Scottish novelists 19th-century Scottish women writers British women biographers