Marjorie Fleming
Encyclopedia
Marjorie Fleming was a child writer and poet, born in Kirkcaldy
, Fife
, Scotland
. She died of meningitis
at the age of 8. Her complete written work is held by the National Library of Scotland. After spending some time in Edinburgh under the tutelage of her beloved cousin Isa Keith, Fleming returned to Kirkcaldy, where she contracted measles
which later developed into the meningitis that killed her.
She is best remembered for a diary which she kept for the last eighteen months of her life. For fifty years following her death the diary remained unpublished, although she was rumoured to be the favorite poet of Sir Walter Scott
. Fleming was allegedly related to Scott distantly on her mother's side. The two never referred to each other in their journals and the relationship was suggested by her 1863 editor Dr. John Brown
.
Her diary was first published in 1858 by H. B. Farnie and was a great hit with Victorians. It was subsequently re-edited by Dr. Brown in 1863 and Lachlan Macbean in 1904 and 1928. However, these were severely truncated and re-worked versions of Fleming's diary, due to the nature of Fleming's writing style which used language seen in Victorian times as inappropriate for an eight-year-old to use, or indeed to be used at all in polite company. As a result, Fleming's writings were extensively edited during the Victorian and subsequent Edwardian periods and a complete and accurate edition was not published until 1935, over a century after Marjorie Fleming's death.
"Marjorie" is the spelling popularized by her later editors. "Marjory" is the spelling used by the Fleming family.
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. She died of meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
at the age of 8. Her complete written work is held by the National Library of Scotland. After spending some time in Edinburgh under the tutelage of her beloved cousin Isa Keith, Fleming returned to Kirkcaldy, where she contracted measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
which later developed into the meningitis that killed her.
She is best remembered for a diary which she kept for the last eighteen months of her life. For fifty years following her death the diary remained unpublished, although she was rumoured to be the favorite poet of Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
. Fleming was allegedly related to Scott distantly on her mother's side. The two never referred to each other in their journals and the relationship was suggested by her 1863 editor Dr. John Brown
John Brown (physician)
John Brown FRSE FRCPE was a Scottish physician and essayist. He was the son of the clergyman John Brown , and was born in Biggar, Scotland. He is best known for his 3 volume collection Horae Subsecivae—"Leisure Hours" , including essays and papers on art, medical history and biography...
.
Her diary was first published in 1858 by H. B. Farnie and was a great hit with Victorians. It was subsequently re-edited by Dr. Brown in 1863 and Lachlan Macbean in 1904 and 1928. However, these were severely truncated and re-worked versions of Fleming's diary, due to the nature of Fleming's writing style which used language seen in Victorian times as inappropriate for an eight-year-old to use, or indeed to be used at all in polite company. As a result, Fleming's writings were extensively edited during the Victorian and subsequent Edwardian periods and a complete and accurate edition was not published until 1935, over a century after Marjorie Fleming's death.
"Marjorie" is the spelling popularized by her later editors. "Marjory" is the spelling used by the Fleming family.
External links
- Works by or about Marjorie Fleming at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
(scanned books original editions) - Trivia Library biography
- Kirkcaldy Civic Society biography
- Fife Post biography