Henrietta Mary BatsonnéeBlackman (1859–1943) was an English writer whose interest in the countryside and rural people was an important theme in her novels and much of her non-fiction. She often published as Mrs. Stephen Batson, or sometimes as H.M. Batson.
Born in Hamilton, Canada West to the Rev. Thomas John Mark Willoughby Blackman and Ann Blackman née Gunn in 1859, Batson was living in England by 1871.[1] She stayed there for the rest of her life, and her writing is rooted in English settings and issues. She married in 1879 at Monewden where her father was curate-in-charge, and where she had been an instructor in the night school and the choir.[2] Her husband was the Rev. Alfred Stephen Batson, rector of Welford in Berkshire. Their daughter Mary Stephanie was born the year after their wedding but died when a few weeks old.[3] They lived in the rectory for more than a decade but were then able to move to a smaller, more suitable house.
Batson's writing began to be published in the early 1890s. Her earlier novels seemed to have something in common with Thomas Hardy's, including their “Wessex” setting and exploration of the tragic side of life.[4][5] She emphasised rural themes and settings in all her novels. She wrote about "rustic" characters[5] and in real life took a sympathetic interest in “less fortunate” country people.[4] Reviewers were generally polite about her novels and gave the impression that she had "ability and vision" and deserved to be read.[4] For example, a review of her novel The Gay Paradines said "...with the small reservations mentioned we can heartily recommend the story to all our readers; the standard is high, and the tone good in every way."[6] However, she got only limited attention from the literary world.[4]
Batson was interested in gardening, folk customs, local history, genealogy and religious topics. She published non-fiction works on most of these subjects and also made scrapbooks, wrote diaries and created a multi-volume manuscript account of family history, which she gave to the London Society of Genealogists.[4]
Batson's husband died in 1908. Her last published work came out in 1910, though she went on compiling family genealogy for several years after that. In the 1911 census she described herself as a writer. At this time her niece Margery May Hodgson was part of the household,[7] and they were also living together in 1939.[8] When Henrietta Batson died at Swyre in Dorset in 1943, probate was granted to Hodgson.[9]
Selected worksedit
Front cover of "A Book of the Country and the Garden", 1903
Fictionedit
Dark: a Tale of the Down Country, London: Smith, Elder, 1892
Such a Lord is Love: A woman's heart tragedy, London, A.D. Innes & Co., 1893
Adam the Gardener, London : Hurst and Blackett, 1894
The Earth Children, London : Hutchinson & Co., 1897
The Gay Paradines, London, Stanley, Paul and Co.1909
A Splendid Heritage, London, Stanley, Paul and Co.1910
Terrier and inventory of church possessions in the parish of Welford, Berks., Newbury, 1892
The rule of the laywoman, in the Nineteenth Century magazine, vol. 39, Jan. 1896
Town and country labourers: (answers to "The cry of the villages" by A. Jessopp), with P. Wyndham, in the Nineteenth Century magazine, vol. 46, 1899.
The Ruba'iyat of Omar Khayyam , translated by Edward Fitzgerald; with a commentary by H.M. Batson and a biographical introduction by E.D. Ross, London : Methuen and co. 1900
A concise handbook of garden flowers, London: Methuen 1903 [10]
A book of the country and the garden, London: Methuen 1903
The summer garden of pleasure, London: Methuen 1908
Otheredit
A history of the Blackman and allied families in Sussex, England, by Henrietta Blackman Batson (Mrs. Alfred Stephen Batson); with addenda, edited, revised, with new material by Marion Wincote Elliott, Los Altos, Calif. 1994
Index of Mrs Batson's scrapbooks, compiled by Alan W. Garvey, Newbury: Wickham cum Welford History Association c2003
^ abcdeDavis, W. E.."Neglected Novelist of the 1890s, Henrietta M. Batson: An Essay & Annotated Secondary Bibliography." English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920 40.2 (1997): 150-163
^ abThe Book and its Story, The Sketch, 26 Sep 1894, p486
^Henrietta M. Batson A Concise Handbook of Garden Flowers (1903) at Google Books
May 13, 2024
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Henrietta Mary Batson nee Blackman 1859 1943 was an English writer whose interest in the countryside and rural people was an important theme in her novels and much of her non fiction She often published as Mrs Stephen Batson or sometimes as H M Batson Henrietta BatsonPhotograph of Batson published in The Sketch 1894BornHenrietta Mary Blackman1859 1859 Hamilton Canada WestDied1943 aged 83 84 Swyre Dorset EnglandNationalityEnglishOther namesMrs Stephen BatsonH M BatsonOccupationWriter Contents 1 Life 2 Selected works 2 1 Fiction 2 2 Non fiction 2 3 Other 3 ReferencesLife editBorn in Hamilton Canada West to the Rev Thomas John Mark Willoughby Blackman and Ann Blackman nee Gunn in 1859 Batson was living in England by 1871 1 She stayed there for the rest of her life and her writing is rooted in English settings and issues She married in 1879 at Monewden where her father was curate in charge and where she had been an instructor in the night school and the choir 2 Her husband was the Rev Alfred Stephen Batson rector of Welford in Berkshire Their daughter Mary Stephanie was born the year after their wedding but died when a few weeks old 3 They lived in the rectory for more than a decade but were then able to move to a smaller more suitable house Batson s writing began to be published in the early 1890s Her earlier novels seemed to have something in common with Thomas Hardy s including their Wessex setting and exploration of the tragic side of life 4 5 She emphasised rural themes and settings in all her novels She wrote about rustic characters 5 and in real life took a sympathetic interest in less fortunate country people 4 Reviewers were generally polite about her novels and gave the impression that she had ability and vision and deserved to be read 4 For example a review of her novel The Gay Paradines said with the small reservations mentioned we can heartily recommend the story to all our readers the standard is high and the tone good in every way 6 However she got only limited attention from the literary world 4 Batson was interested in gardening folk customs local history genealogy and religious topics She published non fiction works on most of these subjects and also made scrapbooks wrote diaries and created a multi volume manuscript account of family history which she gave to the London Society of Genealogists 4 Batson s husband died in 1908 Her last published work came out in 1910 though she went on compiling family genealogy for several years after that In the 1911 census she described herself as a writer At this time her niece Margery May Hodgson was part of the household 7 and they were also living together in 1939 8 When Henrietta Batson died at Swyre in Dorset in 1943 probate was granted to Hodgson 9 Selected works edit nbsp Front cover of A Book of the Country and the Garden 1903 Fiction edit Dark a Tale of the Down Country London Smith Elder 1892 Such a Lord is Love A woman s heart tragedy London A D Innes amp Co 1893 Adam the Gardener London Hurst and Blackett 1894 The Earth Children London Hutchinson amp Co 1897 The Gay Paradines London Stanley Paul and Co 1909 A Splendid Heritage London Stanley Paul and Co 1910 Non fiction edit Hodge at home in the Nineteenth Century magazine vol 31 1892 Terrier and inventory of church possessions in the parish of Welford Berks Newbury 1892 The rule of the laywoman in the Nineteenth Century magazine vol 39 Jan 1896 Town and country labourers answers to The cry of the villages by A Jessopp with P Wyndham in the Nineteenth Century magazine vol 46 1899 The Ruba iyat of Omar Khayyam translated by Edward Fitzgerald with a commentary by H M Batson and a biographical introduction by E D Ross London Methuen and co 1900 A concise handbook of garden flowers London Methuen 1903 10 A book of the country and the garden London Methuen 1903 The summer garden of pleasure London Methuen 1908 Other edit A history of the Blackman and allied families in Sussex England by Henrietta Blackman Batson Mrs Alfred Stephen Batson with addenda edited revised with new material by Marion Wincote Elliott Los Altos Calif 1994 Index of Mrs Batson s scrapbooks compiled by Alan W Garvey Newbury Wickham cum Welford History Association c2003References edit UK 1871 census Monewden Wedding Festivities Ipswich Journal 30 September 1879 Bury and Norwich Post 12 Oct 1889 a b c d e Davis W E Neglected Novelist of the 1890s Henrietta M Batson An Essay amp Annotated Secondary Bibliography English Literature in Transition 1880 1920 40 2 1997 150 163 a b The Book and its Story The Sketch 26 Sep 1894 p486 The Academy and Literature 1909 Volume 76 1911 UK census 1939 Register of the UK Find a Will Henrietta M Batson A Concise Handbook of Garden Flowers 1903 at Google Books Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Henrietta Batson amp oldid 1180756438, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
