Frances Browne
Frances Browne was an Irish poet and author, born on January 16, 1816, in Stranorlar, County Donegal, as the seventh of twelve children. At just eighteen months old, she lost her sight due to smallpox, yet she demonstrated remarkable resilience by educating herself through listening and the support of her siblings. Browne began writing poetry at the age of seven and gained recognition in 1840 when her poems were published in the Athenaeum magazine. Her first poetry collection, *The Star of Atteghei*, was released in 1844, and she became known as "The Blind Girl of Donegal" due to her unique perspective influenced by her experiences and the poetry of Lord Byron.
Browne's literary career flourished after moving to Edinburgh in 1847, and she contributed to various Victorian journals. Notably, her children's book, *Granny's Wonderful Chair* (1857), remains in print today. Throughout her life, Browne published numerous works, including novels and an autobiography, although much of her writing is currently out of print. Despite her literary contributions, a century after her birth, her legacy faced neglect, highlighting the fleeting nature of literary fame. Browne passed away on August 25, 1879, in London.
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Frances Browne
Writer
- Born: January 16, 1816
- Birthplace: Stranorlar, Donegal, Ireland
- Died: August 25, 1879
Biography
Frances Browne was born on January 16, 1816, in Stranorlar, County Donegal, Ireland, the seventh of twelve children born to the town’s postmaster. When Browne was eighteen months of age, she contracted smallpox and lost her sight. However, she managed to educate herself by listening at school and by having her siblings read to her. She began to write poetry by the time she was seven years old.
In 1840 Browne began publishing poems in the magazine Athenaeum (later known as the Irish Penny Journal), and published her first volume of poetry, The Star of Atteghei, in 1844. Her writing, heavily influenced by the verse of Lord Byron, attracted the attention of Sir Robert Peel, who awarded her a pension of twenty pounds per year. Browne began to be known popularly as “The Blind Girl of Donegal” or “The Blind Poetess of Donegal”; some of her poems were concerned with local matters such as the effects of the Irish Famine upon Donegal. After moving to Edinburgh in 1847, she began to be published in several popular Victorian journals. Lyrics and Miscellaneous Poems, Browne’s second volume of poetry, was published in 1848.
A gift of one hundred pounds from the Marquis of Landsdowne enabled Browne to move to London in 1852. While in London, Browne wrote her best known work for children, Granny’s Wonderful Chair and Its Tales of Fairy Times (1857), which remains in print. Browne’s first two novels followed: My Share of the World (1861) and The Castleford Case (1862); a third novel, The Hidden Sin (1866), was published anonymously. Browne also published her autobiography.
Much of Browne’s work remains out of print. In December of 1916, a writer for the Irish Book Lover pointed out that the centenary of Browne’s birth “did not elicit a single line in any journal,” and lamented “how transient a thing is a literary reputation. “ Browne died in London on August 25, 1879.