Eliza Parsons
Encyclopedia
Eliza Parsons (1739 – 5 February 1811) was an English gothic novelist. Her most famous novels in this genre are The Castle of Wolfenbach
(1793) and The Mysterious Warning (1796) - two of the seven gothic titles
recommended as reading by a character in Jane Austen
's novel Northanger Abbey
.
, England
as an only daughter to John and Roberta Phelp. John was a middle-class wine
merchant. Eliza spent her childhood in a prosperous household and became well-educated for a young woman in the 18th century. Around 21 years old, Eliza married a turpentine
distiller, Mr. James Parsons, from the near-by town of Stonehouse. Their marriage certificate dated March 24, 1760. Together they had 3 sons and 5 daughters. In the years of 1778-79, James, Eliza, and their children moved from their home in Stonehouse to a suburb in London when Mr. Parsons’ turpentine business saw a decline as an indirect result of the American War of Independence. In London
, Mr. Parsons invested his remaining money into reviving his dwindling turpentine trade. For approximately three years, the Parsons family’s quality of life returned to the pre-American Revolution level. In 1782 a devastating fire broke out in one of Parsons’ warehouses; it spread quickly and destroyed everything he owned. Mr. Parsons was then obliged to relinquish his business and take a position in the Lord Chamberlain’s office at St. James’s.
Several months prior to the warehouse fire, the Parsons’ eldest son died in Jamaica
, immediately following his promotion to Captain of the Royal Marines
. Domestic bereavement coupled with reverses in his economic fortune combined with Mr. Parsons’ deteriorating health and he suffered a paralyzing stroke
. Mr. Parsons lived for three more years until he died in 1790 after suffering a second stroke. Eliza’s second eldest son also died in the military. In 1803, one of her daughters died, and in 1804 her youngest son passed.
Left alone with a family to provide for, Eliza picked up a pen and began to write novels in order to support her large family. Between 1790 - 1807, over the course of her career Eliza Parsons wrote 19 novels and 1 play, all of which were contained in 60 volumes. Parsons, however, was continually short of money. Between 1793 and 1803 she received 45 guineas from the Royal Literary Fund
and also worked at the Royal Wardrobe
. She died on 5 February 1811 at the age of 72 in Leytonstone
in Essex
, leaving behind four married daughters.
in 1793. This was during the second half of the 18th century when England and France were starting to move away from the idea of arranged marriages. Society was leaning toward the idea of marrying freely for love. Parsons portrays this idea through The Castle of Wolfenbach along with the belief of a strong patriarchal family and respect toward the middle-class rather than aristocracy. Some other novels of Parsons included Women as They Are (1797) and The Valley of St. Gothard (1799). Parsons shows female Gothic writing characteristics by having a heroine sort of trick her way into an inheritance while pretending to be vulnerable and innocent all the while. Parsons assisted in developing the “international” Gothic: the political outlook being part liberal and part conservative. Two of Parsons’s novels, The Castle of Wolfenbach and The Mysterious Warning (1796), were named as part of the “horrid romances” Catherine Morland recommends to Isabella Thorpe in chapter six of Jane Austin’s “Northanger Abbey”
. The seven titles Austin referenced in her novel were thought to be made up until December 1912. Critics suggest Austin named these specific titles due to the fact Austin thought they were the worst of the genre. Critics proclaim it is no accident Radcliffe’s works were not named, and two of Parsons’s were. Many of Parsons’s novels had prefaces that would seem to invite sympathy from the readers towards her unfortunate situation and to excuse her lack of talent. The Castle of Wolfenbach and The Mysterious Warning had too clumsy and convenient happy endings for critics.
Two undated novels:
The Castle of Wolfenbach
The Castle of Wolfenbach is the most famous novel written by the English Gothic novelist Eliza Parsons. First published in two volumes during 1793, it was one of the seven "horrid novels" recommended by the character Isabella Thorpe to Catherine Morland in Jane Austen's novel Northanger Abbey and...
(1793) and The Mysterious Warning (1796) - two of the seven gothic titles
Northanger Horrid Novels
The Northanger Horrid Novels are seven early works of Gothic fiction recommended by Isabella Thorpe to Catherine Morland in Jane Austen's novel Northanger Abbey :*Clermont, a Tale by Regina Maria Roche. London: Minerva Press....
recommended as reading by a character in Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
's novel Northanger Abbey
Northanger Abbey
Northanger Abbey was the first of Jane Austen's novels to be completed for publication, though she had previously made a start on Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. According to Cassandra Austen's Memorandum, Susan was written approximately during 1798–99...
.
Life
Many different speculations have been made regarding the life of Eliza Parsons. Most researchers do agree, however, that the author was born in the year 1739. Parsons’s baptismal certificate is dated April 4, 1739. Eliza was born in PlymouthPlymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as an only daughter to John and Roberta Phelp. John was a middle-class wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
merchant. Eliza spent her childhood in a prosperous household and became well-educated for a young woman in the 18th century. Around 21 years old, Eliza married a turpentine
Turpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
distiller, Mr. James Parsons, from the near-by town of Stonehouse. Their marriage certificate dated March 24, 1760. Together they had 3 sons and 5 daughters. In the years of 1778-79, James, Eliza, and their children moved from their home in Stonehouse to a suburb in London when Mr. Parsons’ turpentine business saw a decline as an indirect result of the American War of Independence. In London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Mr. Parsons invested his remaining money into reviving his dwindling turpentine trade. For approximately three years, the Parsons family’s quality of life returned to the pre-American Revolution level. In 1782 a devastating fire broke out in one of Parsons’ warehouses; it spread quickly and destroyed everything he owned. Mr. Parsons was then obliged to relinquish his business and take a position in the Lord Chamberlain’s office at St. James’s.
Several months prior to the warehouse fire, the Parsons’ eldest son died in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, immediately following his promotion to Captain of the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
. Domestic bereavement coupled with reverses in his economic fortune combined with Mr. Parsons’ deteriorating health and he suffered a paralyzing stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. Mr. Parsons lived for three more years until he died in 1790 after suffering a second stroke. Eliza’s second eldest son also died in the military. In 1803, one of her daughters died, and in 1804 her youngest son passed.
Left alone with a family to provide for, Eliza picked up a pen and began to write novels in order to support her large family. Between 1790 - 1807, over the course of her career Eliza Parsons wrote 19 novels and 1 play, all of which were contained in 60 volumes. Parsons, however, was continually short of money. Between 1793 and 1803 she received 45 guineas from the Royal Literary Fund
Royal Literary Fund
The Royal Literary Fund is a benevolent fund set up to help published British writers in financial difficulties. It was founded by Reverend David Williams in 1790 and has received bequests and donations, including royal patronage, ever since...
and also worked at the Royal Wardrobe
Royal Wardrobe
The Royal Wardrobe was a building located on what is now Queen Victoria Street in the City of London, near Blackfriars. It was used as a storehouse for royal accoutrements, housing arms and clothing among other personal items of the Crown.-History:The Wardrobe was used to house orphans during the...
. She died on 5 February 1811 at the age of 72 in Leytonstone
Leytonstone
Leytonstone is an area of east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is a high density suburban area, located seven miles north east of Charing Cross in the ceremonial county of Greater London and the historic county of Essex...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, leaving behind four married daughters.
The Female Gothic Writer
Parsons turned to Gothic writing because it was popular at the time. Critics often claimed her works were not well-written and lacked organization. After losing her husband, Parsons had to support her family, so she turned to writing. She produced a lot of novels in a short amount of years, which is why critics claimed there would be inevitable errors in her stories. Parsons was a deeply religious Protestant. She believed in the good being rewarded and the wicked being punished, which shows through in her works. In the year 1790, the same year as her husband’s death, Parsons published her first novel, The History of Miss Meredith. Parsons published The Castle of WolfenbachThe Castle of Wolfenbach
The Castle of Wolfenbach is the most famous novel written by the English Gothic novelist Eliza Parsons. First published in two volumes during 1793, it was one of the seven "horrid novels" recommended by the character Isabella Thorpe to Catherine Morland in Jane Austen's novel Northanger Abbey and...
in 1793. This was during the second half of the 18th century when England and France were starting to move away from the idea of arranged marriages. Society was leaning toward the idea of marrying freely for love. Parsons portrays this idea through The Castle of Wolfenbach along with the belief of a strong patriarchal family and respect toward the middle-class rather than aristocracy. Some other novels of Parsons included Women as They Are (1797) and The Valley of St. Gothard (1799). Parsons shows female Gothic writing characteristics by having a heroine sort of trick her way into an inheritance while pretending to be vulnerable and innocent all the while. Parsons assisted in developing the “international” Gothic: the political outlook being part liberal and part conservative. Two of Parsons’s novels, The Castle of Wolfenbach and The Mysterious Warning (1796), were named as part of the “horrid romances” Catherine Morland recommends to Isabella Thorpe in chapter six of Jane Austin’s “Northanger Abbey”
Northanger Horrid Novels
The Northanger Horrid Novels are seven early works of Gothic fiction recommended by Isabella Thorpe to Catherine Morland in Jane Austen's novel Northanger Abbey :*Clermont, a Tale by Regina Maria Roche. London: Minerva Press....
. The seven titles Austin referenced in her novel were thought to be made up until December 1912. Critics suggest Austin named these specific titles due to the fact Austin thought they were the worst of the genre. Critics proclaim it is no accident Radcliffe’s works were not named, and two of Parsons’s were. Many of Parsons’s novels had prefaces that would seem to invite sympathy from the readers towards her unfortunate situation and to excuse her lack of talent. The Castle of Wolfenbach and The Mysterious Warning had too clumsy and convenient happy endings for critics.
Works
- The History of Miss Meredith (1790, novel)
- Errors of Education (1791, novel)
- The Intrigues of a Morning; or an Hour in Paris (1792, play)
- Ellen and Julia (1793, novel)
- Woman as She Should Be (1793, novel)
- Anecdotes of Two Well-Known Families (1793, novel)
- The Castle of Wolfenbach (1793, novel).
- Lucy (1794, novel)
- The Voluntary Exile (1795, novel)
- Women as they Are (1796, novel)
- The Mysterious Warning (1796, novel)
- The Valley of St. Gothard (1799)
- The Peasant of Ardenne Forest (1801, novel)
- Love and Gratitude; or Traits of the Human Heart (1804, novel)
Two undated novels:
- The Wise Ones Bubbled; or Lovers Triumphant
- Rosetta