Mary Pilkington

Mary Pilkington (née Mary Susanna Hopkins, 1761–1839) was an English novelist and poet. Many of the novels were written for children.

Biography

She was born in Cambridge, England. Her father died when she was aged 15, and she went to live with her grandfather. The man who had taken over her father's medical practice became Mary's husband in 1786. While he was away working as a naval surgeon, she took work as a governess.

Pilkington's portrait, painted by Joseph Slater Jr., is held by the Royal Collection Trust An engraving of her by James Hopwood the Elder is held by the National Portrait Gallery, London, and another by Isaac Slater is held by the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Many of her novels (of which she is known to have produced over forty in the years up to 1825) were written for children.

Selected works

• Delia, a pathetic and interesting tale (1790)
• Rosina (1793)
• Miscellaneous Poems (1796)
• Edward Barnard; or, merit exalted (1797)
• The Subterranean Cavern (1798)
• The Accusing Spirit (1802)
• Marvellous Adventures; or, the Vicissitudes of a Cat (1802)
• Memoirs of Celebrated Female Characters, who Have Distinguished Themselves by Their Talents and Virtues in Every Age and Nation, Containing the Most Extensive Collection of Illustrious Examples of Feminine Excellence Ever Published, in which the Virtuous and the Vicious are Painted in Their True Colours, by Mrs. Pilkington (1804)
• Crimes and Characters (1805)
• Ellen (1807)
• Sinclair (1809)
• Parental Care Producing Practical Virtue (1810)
• Celebrity (1815)

External links

• S. J. Skedd, 'Pilkington , Mary Susanna (1761–1839)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 15 Jan 2008].
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