Matilda Betham-Edwards born 1836 in Suffolk; died 1919 in Hastings) was a novelist, travel writer and francophile. She was also a prolific poet (the 'Lay of Marie' concerning Marie de France is among her best-known works) and wrote several children's books. Her father was a clergyman. She corresponded with well-known English male poets of the day.

Her interests ranged widely but a major commitment of her life and work was to France and the French. Of Huguenot descent, she considered France her second native land and made it her mission to bring about better understanding and sympathy between the two countries who shared her allegiance. The French government made her an Officier de lInstruction Publique de France in recognition of her untiring efforts towards the establishment of a genuine and lasting entente cordiale. She was awarded a medal at the Anglo-French Exhibition of 1908. She is often cited in anthologies of historic lesbian poetry, but there is not a shred of evidence to show that she had any lesbian tendencies whatsoever.

She is sometimes confused with the poet Matilda Betham, but the dates of birth and death (1776-1852) show clearly that she is not the same person at all!

Professor Joan Rees has written the only biography of Matilda Betham-Edwards, in 2006.

Works by Matilda Betham-Edwards

• The White House by the Sea 1857
• Little Bird Red and Little Bird Blue (verse drama) 1861
• John and I 1862
• Dr Jacob 1864
• A Winter with the Swallows 1867
• Through Spain to the Sahara 1868
• Kitty 1869
• The Sylvestres 1871
• Felicia 1875
• Bridget 1877
• Brother Gabriel 1878
• Six Life Stories of Famous Women 1880
• Forestalled 1880
• Pearla 1883
• Half-Way 1886
• Next of Kin Wanted 1887
• The Parting of the Ways 1888
• For One and the World 1889
• A Romance of the Wire 1891
• Edition of Arthur Youngs Travels in France 1892
• Romance of a French Parsonage 1892
• France of To-Day 1892
• The Curb of Honour 1893
• A Romance of Dijon 1894
• The Golden Bee and other Recitations 1895
• Autobiography of Arthur Young 1898
• The Lord of the Harvest 1899
• Anglo-French Reminiscences 1900
• A Suffolk Courtship 1900
• Mock Beggars Hall 1902
• Barham Brocklebank 1903
• A Humble Lover 1903
• Home Life in France 1905
• Martha Rose 1906
• Poems 1907
• A Close Ring 1907
• Literary Rambles in France 1907
• Friendly Faces of Three Nationalities 1911
• In French Africa 1912
• From an Islington Window 1914
• Hearts of Alsace 1916
• Twentieth Century France 1917
• French Fireside Poetry 1919
• Mid-Victorian Memories 1919

This biography was taken verbatim from the Wikipedia. We're providing a snapshot just in case the Wikipedia servers were temporarily unreacheable. The original page is not only much more up-to-date, it also features links to other pages and sites. This snapshot was last updated: 08/13/2006. (mm/dd/yyyy)