Elizabeth Mayhew Edmonds (1821-1907) was an English writer active in the 1880s who wrote about modern Greece.[1] Her focus on publishing in magazines and journals as well as in books brought modern Greek life to increased prominence in Britain.[2]
Greek Lays, Idylls, Legends etc. trans. by Edmonds
Elizabeth Mayhew Edmonds was born and baptised as Elizabeth Waller on 19 January 1821 at St Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey. Her father, John Waller, was a former Royal Navy officer and her mother, Susanna Green, was the daughter of a surgeon from Hoxne, Suffolk. Elizabeth was one of seven children, and was educated at home by her elder brother, the artist John Waller. He introduced her to great literature in English, French, Italian and Latin. She was also encouraged by her cousin, the writer Mary Matilda Betham to write poetry.[1]
In December 1849, Elizabeth married Augustus Robert Edmonds. He worked as a lighterman, foreign merchant and a master barge builder.[3] They moved to Blackheath, London, and he encouraged her to return to writing, and to learning ancient Greek. She became interested in modern Greek.[1]
CareerEdit
In 1880, Edmonds travelled alone to Athens. She said the trip was for both her health and to continue her study of the modern Greek language. Initially staying at a hotel and then with an expatriate British family, she eventually moved to the home of a Professor Kerasos of the University of Athens. In 1881, Edmonds published her account of her time in Athens as Fair Athens under the pen name E. M. Edmonds. The book combined observations of the habits and customs of the modern city and of the Greek way of life including their religion, domestic arrangements and cuisine.[1] She wrote about the reactions she received as a lone woman traveller, including the shock of the hotel porter, and the response of a group on a trip to Megara.[3]
Whilst in Athens, Edmonds had made contact with several contemporary Greek poets: Georgios Vizyenos, Georgios Drosinis, Nikolaos Politis, and Grigorios Xenopoulo. She remained in touch after returning to Britain, and began publishing translations of their work in English. She published a collection of translations in 1885, Greek Lays, Idylls, Legends &c, which ran to two editions.[1]
Edmonds became a prolific translator of modern Greek work, and also wrote over thirty articles about modern Greece between 1881 and 1897. Oscar Wilde reviewed her translations in the Pall Mall Gazette and commissioned her to write for the Woman's World magazine.[2] Her 1892 translation of Theodoros Kolokotronis's memoirs remains the only complete version in English. She promoted the cause of an independent Greece.[1] Her writing and that of Isabella Fyvie Mayo made Victorian readers aware of the role women played in the Greek War of Independence raising questions of gender and the role of women.[4]
Edmonds also wrote three popular novels between 1888 and 1898 which explored the tension between the creative and domestic demands on women, and the gendered expectations on them. In Mary Myles (1888), the eponymous protagonist is an excellent scholar who has to work as a governess. In Amygdala: A Tale of the Greek Revolution (1894), the lead character, Irene, counters her father's disappointment at her being a girl by fighting in the Greek war of independence.[1][2]
Edmonds died on 20 January 1907 in Blackheath, and was buried at the now destroyed St German's Church in Blackheath.[1]
ReferencesEdit
^ abcdefgh"Edmonds [née Waller], Elizabeth Mayhew (bap. 1821, d. 1907), translator and writer". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/107349. ISBN978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 4 September 2022. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ abcAssinder, Semele (2012). "'To say the same thing in different words': politics and poetics in late Victorian translation from Modern Greek". Journal of International Women's Studies. 13 (6): 72–84. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
^ abCamatsos, Efrosini; Kaplanis, Tassos A.; Pye, Jocelyn (2 May 2014). "His Words Were Nourishment and His Counsel Food": A Festschrift for David W. Holton. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 159–174. ISBN978-1-4438-5996-7. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
^Mitsi, Efterpi (August 2022). "Revolutionary Greece in Victorian popular literature". Literature Compass. 19 (9). doi:10.1111/lic3.12679. S2CID 251707703.
^Edmonds, Elizabeth Mayhew (1898). Jabez Nutyard, Workman and Dreamer. Jarrold & Sons.
External linksEdit
Fair Athens
October 21, 2023
elizabeth, mayhew, edmonds, 1821, 1907, english, writer, active, 1880s, wrote, about, modern, greece, focus, publishing, magazines, journals, well, books, brought, modern, greek, life, increased, prominence, britain, greek, lays, idylls, legends, trans, edmond. Elizabeth Mayhew Edmonds 1821 1907 was an English writer active in the 1880s who wrote about modern Greece 1 Her focus on publishing in magazines and journals as well as in books brought modern Greek life to increased prominence in Britain 2 Greek Lays Idylls Legends etc trans by Edmonds Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Selected works 4 Death 5 References 6 External linksEarly life EditElizabeth Mayhew Edmonds was born and baptised as Elizabeth Waller on 19 January 1821 at St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey Her father John Waller was a former Royal Navy officer and her mother Susanna Green was the daughter of a surgeon from Hoxne Suffolk Elizabeth was one of seven children and was educated at home by her elder brother the artist John Waller He introduced her to great literature in English French Italian and Latin She was also encouraged by her cousin the writer Mary Matilda Betham to write poetry 1 In December 1849 Elizabeth married Augustus Robert Edmonds He worked as a lighterman foreign merchant and a master barge builder 3 They moved to Blackheath London and he encouraged her to return to writing and to learning ancient Greek She became interested in modern Greek 1 Career EditIn 1880 Edmonds travelled alone to Athens She said the trip was for both her health and to continue her study of the modern Greek language Initially staying at a hotel and then with an expatriate British family she eventually moved to the home of a Professor Kerasos of the University of Athens In 1881 Edmonds published her account of her time in Athens as Fair Athens under the pen name E M Edmonds The book combined observations of the habits and customs of the modern city and of the Greek way of life including their religion domestic arrangements and cuisine 1 She wrote about the reactions she received as a lone woman traveller including the shock of the hotel porter and the response of a group on a trip to Megara 3 Whilst in Athens Edmonds had made contact with several contemporary Greek poets Georgios Vizyenos Georgios Drosinis Nikolaos Politis and Grigorios Xenopoulo She remained in touch after returning to Britain and began publishing translations of their work in English She published a collection of translations in 1885 Greek Lays Idylls Legends amp c which ran to two editions 1 Edmonds became a prolific translator of modern Greek work and also wrote over thirty articles about modern Greece between 1881 and 1897 Oscar Wilde reviewed her translations in the Pall Mall Gazette and commissioned her to write for the Woman s World magazine 2 Her 1892 translation of Theodoros Kolokotronis s memoirs remains the only complete version in English She promoted the cause of an independent Greece 1 Her writing and that of Isabella Fyvie Mayo made Victorian readers aware of the role women played in the Greek War of Independence raising questions of gender and the role of women 4 Edmonds also wrote three popular novels between 1888 and 1898 which explored the tension between the creative and domestic demands on women and the gendered expectations on them In Mary Myles 1888 the eponymous protagonist is an excellent scholar who has to work as a governess In Amygdala A Tale of the Greek Revolution 1894 the lead character Irene counters her father s disappointment at her being a girl by fighting in the Greek war of independence 1 2 Selected works EditFair Athens 1881 travel writing Greek Lays Idylls Legends amp c 1885 translations Mary Myles 1888 fiction Amygdala A Tale of the Greek Revolution 1894 fiction Jabez Nutyard 1898 fiction 5 Death EditEdmonds died on 20 January 1907 in Blackheath and was buried at the now destroyed St German s Church in Blackheath 1 References Edit a b c d e f g h Edmonds nee Waller Elizabeth Mayhew bap 1821 d 1907 translator and writer Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press 2004 doi 10 1093 ref odnb 107349 ISBN 978 0 19 861412 8 Retrieved 4 September 2022 Subscription or UK public library membership required a b c Assinder Semele 2012 To say the same thing in different words politics and poetics in late Victorian translation from Modern Greek Journal of International Women s Studies 13 6 72 84 Retrieved 4 September 2022 a b Camatsos Efrosini Kaplanis Tassos A Pye Jocelyn 2 May 2014 His Words Were Nourishment and His Counsel Food A Festschrift for David W Holton Cambridge Scholars Publishing pp 159 174 ISBN 978 1 4438 5996 7 Retrieved 4 September 2022 Mitsi Efterpi August 2022 Revolutionary Greece in Victorian popular literature Literature Compass 19 9 doi 10 1111 lic3 12679 S2CID 251707703 Edmonds Elizabeth Mayhew 1898 Jabez Nutyard Workman and Dreamer Jarrold amp Sons External links EditFair Athens Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Elizabeth Mayhew Edmonds amp oldid 1169797694, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
