Caroline Woolmer Leakey (8 March 1827 – 12 July 1881) was an English writer, whose poetry and only novel (The Broad Arrow, published using the pen name Oliné Keese) were influenced and based on her experience living in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) for five years between 1848 and 1853.
Caroline Leakey
Born
Caroline Woolmer Leakey (1827-03-08)8 March 1827 Exeter, Devon, England
Died
12 July 1881(1881-07-12) (aged 54) Exeter, Devon, England
Leakey was born in Exeter in the county of Devon, England. She was the sixth child of a large religious family of eleven children: her parents were James Leakey, an artist, and Eliza Hubbard Woolmer. Suffering from ill health most of her life, Leakey was an avid reader, and when her health allowed her, was active in charitable and religious activities.[1][2]
In 1847, she sailed to the British colony of Van Diemen's Land, to join her sister Eliza, who had migrated to Hobart Town several years earlier with her clergyman husband, Reverend James Medland. Shortly after her arrival, her health deteriorated and she was bedridden for much of the remainder of her time in the colony. In 1851, she lived for twelve months at the convict settlement of Port Arthur. When she returned to Hobart, she fell ill again and her family urged her to return to England, which she did in March 1853.[1]
Encouraged by Bishop Francis Nixon, whom she had lived with in Hobart, to publish her poetry, Leakey published an anthology of poems titled Lyra Australis, or Attempts to Sing in a Strange Land, which was published in London in 1853 and Hobart in 1854.[3]
In March 1857, Leakey began writing a novel, which was published in 1859 in London and in 1860 in Hobart. The novel, The Broad Arrow: Being Passages from the History of Maida Gwynnham, a Lifer, was published under the pen name of "Oliné Keese".[4]The Broad Arrow is considered a significant social document, and as one of the earliest novels to feature a convict as the main character, was a forerunner of, and influence on, the more well-known For the Term of His Natural Life by Marcus Clarke, who used Leakey's novel as a reference for his book.[4][5] After Leakey's death a heavily abridged version of The Broad Arrow was published. Her original, unabridged version remained out of print until 2019, when it was re-issued.[6]
In 1861, Leakey established a house in Exeter to care for "fallen women". She wrote numerous religious tracts before she died after an eighteen-month illness in 1881.[1]
^O'Donoghue, F. M.; Remington, V. (revised) (2004). "Leakey, James (1775–1865), miniature painter". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/16244. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ abc"Eliza Hubbard Woolmer, wife of James Leakey". Artsandculture.google.com. from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022. Elizabeth Hubbard Woolmer was born on 20 December 1793. ... On 28 August 1815 she married the artist James Leakey (1775-1865) at St. Sidwell's Church, Exeter (2). They had eleven children. ... Caroline Woolmer Leakey (1827-1881)
^ abc"Serjeant Nigel Gray Leakey | War Casualty Details". cwgc.org. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022. NIGEL GRAY LEAKEY ... Died 19 May 1941 Age 28 years old ... Son of Arundell Gray A. and Elizabeth Leakey, of Kiganjo, Kenya.
^ abcdeLean, Mary (26 January 2007). "Agnes Hofmeyr, Worker for reconciliation in Africa". The Independent. from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2022. Agnes Leakey, worker for reconciliation: born Limuru, Kenya 8 May 1917; married 1946 Bremer Hofmeyr (died 1993; one son, and one son deceased); died Johannesburg 1 December 2006. ... Agnes Leakey was born in Limuru, Kenya, in 1917, the youngest child of Gray Leakey, cousin of the anthropologist Louis Leakey, and his first wife, Elizabeth. ... in 1926, when Elizabeth died ... She married a South African colleague, Bremer Hofmeyr, in 1946. ... in ... 1954 ... Mau Mau fighters ... attacked her father's farm, killed her stepmother and abducted her father. ... [he was] buried alive, in a shallow grave on Mount Kenya. ... she lost her eldest brother, Nigel Leakey, in 1941 at Colito, where he won the Victoria Cross. Three years after Bremer's death, in 1993, their elder son, Murray, was killed in a car accident in Johannesburg.
References
^ abcHorner, J. C., 'Leakey, Caroline Woolmer (1827–1881)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, accessed 11 May 2012.
^Mead, Jenna (2006): Caroline Leakey, The Companion to Tasmanian History, Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies.
^ abCaroline Woolmer Leaky 25 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Index of Significant Tasmanian Women, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Government of Tasmania.
^Spender, Dale (1988). Writing a New World: Two Centuries of Australian Women Writers. Melbourne: Spinifex Press. pp. 112–115. ISBN0863581722.
^Keese, Oliné, 1827-1881 (February 2019). The broad arrow : being passages from the history of Maida Gwynnham, a lifer. Mead, Jenna. University of Sydney, NSW. ISBN9781920899745. OCLC 1088420954.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
External links
Works by Caroline Leakey at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
August 17, 2023
caroline, leakey, caroline, woolmer, leakey, march, 1827, july, 1881, english, writer, whose, poetry, only, novel, broad, arrow, published, using, name, oliné, keese, were, influenced, based, experience, living, diemen, land, tasmania, five, years, between, 18. Caroline Woolmer Leakey 8 March 1827 12 July 1881 was an English writer whose poetry and only novel The Broad Arrow published using the pen name Oline Keese were influenced and based on her experience living in Van Diemen s Land now Tasmania for five years between 1848 and 1853 Caroline LeakeyBornCaroline Woolmer Leakey 1827 03 08 8 March 1827Exeter Devon EnglandDied12 July 1881 1881 07 12 aged 54 Exeter Devon EnglandPen nameOline KeeseNationalityBritishGenreFiction poetryNotable worksThe Broad Arrow 1859 Lyra Australis 1853 Contents 1 Life 2 Genealogy 3 References 4 External linksLife EditLeakey was born in Exeter in the county of Devon England She was the sixth child of a large religious family of eleven children her parents were James Leakey an artist and Eliza Hubbard Woolmer Suffering from ill health most of her life Leakey was an avid reader and when her health allowed her was active in charitable and religious activities 1 2 In 1847 she sailed to the British colony of Van Diemen s Land to join her sister Eliza who had migrated to Hobart Town several years earlier with her clergyman husband Reverend James Medland Shortly after her arrival her health deteriorated and she was bedridden for much of the remainder of her time in the colony In 1851 she lived for twelve months at the convict settlement of Port Arthur When she returned to Hobart she fell ill again and her family urged her to return to England which she did in March 1853 1 Encouraged by Bishop Francis Nixon whom she had lived with in Hobart to publish her poetry Leakey published an anthology of poems titled Lyra Australis or Attempts to Sing in a Strange Land which was published in London in 1853 and Hobart in 1854 3 In March 1857 Leakey began writing a novel which was published in 1859 in London and in 1860 in Hobart The novel The Broad Arrow Being Passages from the History of Maida Gwynnham a Lifer was published under the pen name of Oline Keese 4 The Broad Arrow is considered a significant social document and as one of the earliest novels to feature a convict as the main character was a forerunner of and influence on the more well known For the Term of His Natural Life by Marcus Clarke who used Leakey s novel as a reference for his book 4 5 After Leakey s death a heavily abridged version of The Broad Arrow was published Her original unabridged version remained out of print until 2019 when it was re issued 6 In 1861 Leakey established a house in Exeter to care for fallen women She wrote numerous religious tracts before she died after an eighteen month illness in 1881 1 Genealogy EditvteLeakey family treeJames Leakey 1775 1865 i Eliza Hubbard Woolmer 1793 1855 ii James Shirley Leakey 1824 1871 citation needed Caroline Woolmer Leakey 1827 1881 ii 9 others ii Rev Arundell Leakey 1853 1924 Rev Harry Leakey 1868 1940 Elizabeth Laing 1873 1925 iii iv Arundell Gray Arundell Leakey 1885 1954 iii iv 5 othersHenrietta Wilfrida Avern 1902 1993 Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey iv 1903 1972 Mary Douglas Nicol 1913 1996 3 othersNigel Gray Leakey 1913 1941 iii iv Robert Dove Leakey 1914 2013 Maj Gen Arundell Rea Leakey 1915 1999 Agnes Florence Leakey 1917 2006 iv Colin Louis Avern Leakey 1933 2018 Meave Epps b 1942 Richard Erskine Frere Leakey 1944 2022 Margaret CropperJonathan Harry Erskine Leakey 1940 2021 Philip Leakey b 1949 Lt Gen Arundell David Leakey b 1952 Louise Leakey b 1972 Emmanuel Prince de Merode b 1970 Notes O Donoghue F M Remington V revised 2004 Leakey James 1775 1865 miniature painter Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 16244 Subscription or UK public library membership required a b c Eliza Hubbard Woolmer wife of James Leakey Artsandculture google com Archived from the original on 6 April 2022 Retrieved 6 April 2022 Elizabeth Hubbard Woolmer was born on 20 December 1793 On 28 August 1815 she married the artist James Leakey 1775 1865 at St Sidwell s Church Exeter 2 They had eleven children Caroline Woolmer Leakey 1827 1881 a b c Serjeant Nigel Gray Leakey War Casualty Details cwgc org Commonwealth War Graves Commission Archived from the original on 8 April 2022 Retrieved 8 April 2022 NIGEL GRAY LEAKEY Died 19 May 1941 Age 28 years old Son of Arundell Gray A and Elizabeth Leakey of Kiganjo Kenya a b c d e Lean Mary 26 January 2007 Agnes Hofmeyr Worker for reconciliation in Africa The Independent Archived from the original on 22 September 2012 Retrieved 8 April 2022 Agnes Leakey worker for reconciliation born Limuru Kenya 8 May 1917 married 1946 Bremer Hofmeyr died 1993 one son and one son deceased died Johannesburg 1 December 2006 Agnes Leakey was born in Limuru Kenya in 1917 the youngest child of Gray Leakey cousin of the anthropologist Louis Leakey and his first wife Elizabeth in 1926 when Elizabeth died She married a South African colleague Bremer Hofmeyr in 1946 in 1954 Mau Mau fighters attacked her father s farm killed her stepmother and abducted her father he was buried alive in a shallow grave on Mount Kenya she lost her eldest brother Nigel Leakey in 1941 at Colito where he won the Victoria Cross Three years after Bremer s death in 1993 their elder son Murray was killed in a car accident in Johannesburg References Edit a b c Horner J C Leakey Caroline Woolmer 1827 1881 Australian Dictionary of Biography National Centre of Biography Australian National University accessed 11 May 2012 Lee Sidney ed 1892 Leakey James Dictionary of National Biography Vol 32 London Smith Elder amp Co Mead Jenna 2006 Caroline Leakey The Companion to Tasmanian History Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies a b Caroline Woolmer Leaky Archived 25 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Index of Significant Tasmanian Women Department of Premier and Cabinet Government of Tasmania Spender Dale 1988 Writing a New World Two Centuries of Australian Women Writers Melbourne Spinifex Press pp 112 115 ISBN 0863581722 Keese Oline 1827 1881 February 2019 The broad arrow being passages from the history of Maida Gwynnham a lifer Mead Jenna University of Sydney NSW ISBN 9781920899745 OCLC 1088420954 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link CS1 maint multiple names authors list link External links EditWorks by Caroline Leakey at LibriVox public domain audiobooks Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Caroline Leakey amp oldid 1111329586, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
