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Monograph Number Six in The Mentor Reading Course
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR. VOL. 3. No. 5. SERIAL No. 84
COPYRIGHT, 1915. By THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

"MY SONNE'S WIFE, ELIZABETH," the pathetic figure of the fast rising flood "On the Coast of Lincolnshire," described in Jean Ingelow's poem, is the subject of one of the intaglio-gravure pictures illustrating "Famous Women Writers, of England." [picture]

Jean Ingelow

Jean Ingelow had a singularly serene and happy life. Her father was a prosperous banker, and until his death lived at Boston, Lincolnshire, where she was born in 1S20. She described her childhood as "bright and joyous," and her many brothers and sisters as "'droll, full of mirth and clever." The Ingelow house was situated on the coast at the mouth of the River Witham and was flanked by two lighthouses.

"We had a lofty nursery," she wrote, "with a bow-window that overlooked the river. My brother and I were constantly wondering at this river. The coming up of the tides and the ships and the jolly gangs of towers ragging them on with a monotonous song, made a daily delight for us. The rushing of the water, the sunshine upon it, and the reflection of the waves on our nursery ceiling supplied hours of talk to us and days of pleasure."

Jean learned to read when three years old, and at an early age began to write poetry. Her first efforts were scribbled on the backs of the folding shutters of her bedroom. She was educated at home by private teachers, superintended by her mother, who was a clever woman of poetic nature.

"We had many pleasures and advantages," says Miss Ingelow. "There was no dullness or gloom about our home, and everything seemed to give occasion for mirth. We had many trips abroad, too; indeed, we spent most winters on the Continent. I made an excursion with a brother, who is an ecclesiastical architect, and in this way I visited every cathedral in France."

Her first work, "A Rhyming Chronicle of Incidents and Feelings," appeared in her thirtieth year, and anonymously. It was praised by Tennyson. Then followed "Allerton and Dreux," a story, in 1851. In l8ä3 she published her first volume of "Poems," which ran through several editions and established her popularity. This book had a large sale in the United States. It was followed by "The Story of Doom and Other Poems" in 1867.

Scanned and modified for the web by Jone Johnson Lewis. Image © 2003 Jone Johnson Lewis. Licensed to About.com. (larger version)

Then, for a time, she turned her attention to fiction. A story for children, entitled "Mopsa the Fairy," appeared in 1869, and was succeeded by a novel, "Off the Skelligs" (three rocky islands on the West coast of Ireland), which, published in 1872, attracted attention for its descriptions of scenery. Its sequel, "Fated to Be Free," came out in the next year. "Sarah de Bergener" followed in 1880, and "John Jerome" in 1886.

Her third volume of "Poems," published in 1885, found a waiting audience. In 1898 a complete collection of her verses was published. "When Sparrows Build" (from "Supper at the Mill"), "Sailing Beyond the Seas," "High Tide on the Coast of Lincolnshire," "Songs of Seven," "Divided," "Winstanley," and "Like a Laverock in the Lift" reveal the poetess at her best. She possessed the quality and temperament of the ballad singer rather than that of the professional author.

Jean Ingelow is not without mannerisms. She often uses unfamiliar and quaint old words for simple objects; her lines frequently halt awkwardly; and her rimes are sometimes far from perfect. However, notwithstanding these blemishes of style, her verse is characterized by sweetness and a delicate underlying tenderness of sentiment.

Miss Ingelow's last years were passed in Kensington, her house standing in spacious grounds with well kept lawns and flower gardens. Here she died on July 20, 1897. Toward the end of her life she wrote little, and only a few hours a day. She spent her winters in the south of Europe. Miss Ingelow was exceedingly charitable, and gave much energy to good works.

Monograph Number Six in The Mentor Reading Course
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR. VOL. 3. No. 5. SERIAL No. 84
COPYRIGHT, 1915. By THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

Edited, formatted and prepared for the Net by Jone Johnson Lewis. These changes © Jone Johnson Lewis 2003.

<Index to Etexts on Women's History>

More on Jean Ingelow, on this site:

• Jean Ingelow poetry - a few chosen poems from Jean Ingelow's writings
• "My Sonne's Wife, Elizabeth" - illustration that accompanied this article in The Mentor, 1915

Part of a collection of etexts on women's history produced by Jone Johnson Lewis. Editing and formatting © 1999-2003 Jone Johnson Lewis.