The Female Quixote; Or, The Adventures of Arabella
Biography of Charlotte Lennox
Early Life
Charlotte Lennox was born in either 1730 or 1731 near Gibraltar to a Scottish father, Captain James Ramsay, and an Irish mother, Catherine. She
spent the majority of her childhood moving back and forth between England and New York and finally settled in England in 1745. After her father’s death, she gained two aristocratic patrons and became a part of Samuel Johnson’s literary circle. She married Alexander Lennox later on, and began to write poetry. Although her first work published in 1747 titled Poems was unsuccessful, in December 1750 she published the The Life of Harriott Stuart. This novel was popular among select literary critics and novelists of the time, especially Samuel Johnson. Lennox’s most famous work, The Female Quixote, was published in March 1752.
Later Life
Following The Female Quixote, Lennox continued to produce novels, and write for various literary journals. She was recognized as a leading literary translator as well as a critic. She also found some success as a playwright. David Garrick produced her Old City Manners (1775), although he did not produce her earlier work, Philanderer (1757). After this production, not much is known about Lennox’s life. During the 1780s, she found work as a governess. Euphemia marked the return of Lennox into literature and met with moderate critical success, but it’s commercial failure left no hope for a second edition.
Euphemia was the last work of literature that Lennox published, and Lennox did not write during the remaining fourteen years of her life. Various works including The Political Quixote had been falsely credited to her, however. Lennox separated from her husband in 1792, five years prior to his death. Lennox’s son left for America in 1793 with money from the Royal Literary Fund, which was supported by painters, professionals, and printers. The fund was also supported by small gifts of money from writers such as Samuel Johnson and Henry Fielding, as well as the charity of Eva Garrick (??). These gifts also supported her in her remaining years of life. Lennox was soon left alone, a victim of illness and poverty. She died on January 4, 1804 in the condition of a destitute old woman. She was buried in an unmarked grave located in Broad Court Cemetery. She was still looked upon fondly after death. An affectionate notice of her passing was posted by the reviewing press. In 1810, Anna Barbauld’s anthology British Novelists included The Female Quixote, still a popular novel at the time. An adulatory biographical preface was included as well. Lennox’s works fell into obscurity for a length of time, but once again her writing is recognized as a significant contributor to the world of literature by scholars.
Early Life
Charlotte Lennox was born in either 1730 or 1731 near Gibraltar to a Scottish father, Captain James Ramsay, and an Irish mother, Catherine. She
spent the majority of her childhood moving back and forth between England and New York and finally settled in England in 1745. After her father’s death, she gained two aristocratic patrons and became a part of Samuel Johnson’s literary circle. She married Alexander Lennox later on, and began to write poetry. Although her first work published in 1747 titled Poems was unsuccessful, in December 1750 she published the The Life of Harriott Stuart. This novel was popular among select literary critics and novelists of the time, especially Samuel Johnson. Lennox’s most famous work, The Female Quixote, was published in March 1752.
Later Life
Following The Female Quixote, Lennox continued to produce novels, and write for various literary journals. She was recognized as a leading literary translator as well as a critic. She also found some success as a playwright. David Garrick produced her Old City Manners (1775), although he did not produce her earlier work, Philanderer (1757). After this production, not much is known about Lennox’s life. During the 1780s, she found work as a governess. Euphemia marked the return of Lennox into literature and met with moderate critical success, but it’s commercial failure left no hope for a second edition.
Euphemia was the last work of literature that Lennox published, and Lennox did not write during the remaining fourteen years of her life. Various works including The Political Quixote had been falsely credited to her, however. Lennox separated from her husband in 1792, five years prior to his death. Lennox’s son left for America in 1793 with money from the Royal Literary Fund, which was supported by painters, professionals, and printers. The fund was also supported by small gifts of money from writers such as Samuel Johnson and Henry Fielding, as well as the charity of Eva Garrick (??). These gifts also supported her in her remaining years of life. Lennox was soon left alone, a victim of illness and poverty. She died on January 4, 1804 in the condition of a destitute old woman. She was buried in an unmarked grave located in Broad Court Cemetery. She was still looked upon fondly after death. An affectionate notice of her passing was posted by the reviewing press. In 1810, Anna Barbauld’s anthology British Novelists included The Female Quixote, still a popular novel at the time. An adulatory biographical preface was included as well. Lennox’s works fell into obscurity for a length of time, but once again her writing is recognized as a significant contributor to the world of literature by scholars.
Publication History
Slide Show Bibliography
Lennox, Charlotte. Poems on Several Occasions. Written by a Young Lady. London: Printed For, and Sold by S. Paterson, at Shakespear's
Head, opposite Durham-Yard, in the Strand, 1747. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. The Female Quixote Or, the Adventures of Arabella. In Two Volumes. London: Printed for A. Millar, Over-against Catharine-Street in the Strand, 1752. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. The Memoirs of the Countess of Berci. Taken from the French by the Author of the Female Quixote. In Two Volumes. London: Printed for A. Millar, 1756. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. Henrietta. Vol. 1. London: Printed for A. Millar, 1758. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. Philander. a Dramatic Pastoral. By Mrs. Charlotte Lennox, Author of the Female Quixote. Dublin: Printed for Richard Smith, at the Hercules in Dame-Street, 1758. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. The Lady's Museum. London: Printed for J. Newberry and J. Coote, 1760. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. Sophia By Mrs. Charlotte Lennox. In Two Volumes. ..London: Printed for James Fletcher, 1762. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. The Sister a Comedy. London: Printed for J. Dodsley ... and T. Davies, 1769. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. Old City Manners. a Comedy. Altered from the Original Eastward Hoe, Written by Ben Jonson, Chapman, and Marston. By Mrs. Lennox. As It Is Performed at the Theatre-Royal, in Drury-Lane. London: Printed for T. Becket, the Corner of the Adelphi, in the Strand, 1775. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. Just Published Price Fourteen Shillings Bound, Euphemia, a Novel. I Four Volumes. By Mrs. Charlotte Lenox. London: Printed for T. Cadell, Strand, 1791. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. Hermione: Or the Orphan Sisters. a Novel. In Two Volumes. Dublin: Printed by John Exshaw, 1791. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. The History of Sir George Warrington or the Political Quixote. By the Author of The Female Quixote. In Three Volumes. ..London: Printed for J. Bell, Oxford-Street, 1797. Print.
Works Cited
Babbage, Frances, Lennox, Charlotte. Studies in Theatre & Performance. 2001, Vol. 21 Issue 3, p150. 12p
Hugh Amory, ‘Lennox , (Barbara) Charlotte, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2009 <http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/16454, accessed 10 Dec 2014>
"Lennox, Charlotte". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
Lennox, Charlotte. British Novelists, 1660-1800. Ed. Martin C. Battestin. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 39. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. From Literature Resource Center.
.
Lennox, Charlotte. Poems on Several Occasions. Written by a Young Lady. London: Printed For, and Sold by S. Paterson, at Shakespear's
Head, opposite Durham-Yard, in the Strand, 1747. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. The Female Quixote Or, the Adventures of Arabella. In Two Volumes. London: Printed for A. Millar, Over-against Catharine-Street in the Strand, 1752. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. The Memoirs of the Countess of Berci. Taken from the French by the Author of the Female Quixote. In Two Volumes. London: Printed for A. Millar, 1756. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. Henrietta. Vol. 1. London: Printed for A. Millar, 1758. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. Philander. a Dramatic Pastoral. By Mrs. Charlotte Lennox, Author of the Female Quixote. Dublin: Printed for Richard Smith, at the Hercules in Dame-Street, 1758. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. The Lady's Museum. London: Printed for J. Newberry and J. Coote, 1760. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. Sophia By Mrs. Charlotte Lennox. In Two Volumes. ..London: Printed for James Fletcher, 1762. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. The Sister a Comedy. London: Printed for J. Dodsley ... and T. Davies, 1769. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. Old City Manners. a Comedy. Altered from the Original Eastward Hoe, Written by Ben Jonson, Chapman, and Marston. By Mrs. Lennox. As It Is Performed at the Theatre-Royal, in Drury-Lane. London: Printed for T. Becket, the Corner of the Adelphi, in the Strand, 1775. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. Just Published Price Fourteen Shillings Bound, Euphemia, a Novel. I Four Volumes. By Mrs. Charlotte Lenox. London: Printed for T. Cadell, Strand, 1791. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. Hermione: Or the Orphan Sisters. a Novel. In Two Volumes. Dublin: Printed by John Exshaw, 1791. Print.
Lennox, Charlotte. The History of Sir George Warrington or the Political Quixote. By the Author of The Female Quixote. In Three Volumes. ..London: Printed for J. Bell, Oxford-Street, 1797. Print.
Works Cited
Babbage, Frances, Lennox, Charlotte. Studies in Theatre & Performance. 2001, Vol. 21 Issue 3, p150. 12p
Hugh Amory, ‘Lennox , (Barbara) Charlotte, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2009 <http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/16454, accessed 10 Dec 2014>
"Lennox, Charlotte". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
Lennox, Charlotte. British Novelists, 1660-1800. Ed. Martin C. Battestin. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 39. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. From Literature Resource Center.
.