Biography information taken from: The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online (entry by David Stoker, 2004), as well as comments by Prunean and Percy
1744 Fenn is born March 12 to Sheppard and Susanna Frere. She was reported to be 'of strong original understanding and great accomplishment' (Festing qtd. by Stoker)
1766 She marries antiquarian John Fenn and settles at Hill House in East Dereham, Norfolk. Although they have no children they adopt an orphan, Miss Andrews. They often look after nephew William Frere, who writes of them as parent figures. 1770s Influenced by Barbauld's Lessons for Children (1778), Fenn begins to write, illustrate, and create bound books for her many nieces and nephews. 1775 P. Norbury of Brentford publishes Fenn's alphabet book, Mrs. Lovechild's Golden Present, with pictures for each letter. "Mrs. Lovechild" is one of her two pseudonyms, along with "Mrs. Teachwell." 1782 Fenn writes to London publisher John Marshall to inquire about publishing her works, which he does until 1812. Most were undated, often published anonymously, as with School Occurrences by "A Lady". This year also sees the publication of Juvenile Correspondence, and School Dialogues for Boys (sometimes dated 1783). Fenn's books were sometimes undated and went through many editions so that dating is often unsure. 1783-4 Marshall publishes several of Fenn's books, including Fables in Monosyllables and Cobwebs to Catch Flies, which becomes very popular. A copy of Cobwebs is sent to the royal nursery, and it is published in England and America into the 1870s. She also publishes Rational Sports, a book of teaching instruction for mothers, and The Female Guardian including possibly autobiographical material ("Family Anecdotes"). 1785(?) Fenn and Marshall publish The Art of Teaching in Sport, a manual for mothers on how to use a set of educational games, making her the first to standardize and commercialize games used at home to teach reading, spelling, grammar and arithmetic. Fenn becomes instrumental in establishing a Sunday School in Dereham. |
1787 John Fenn is knighted for his work on the medieval Paston Letters, the first two volumes of which are presented to King George. Fenn publishes A Spelling Book which includes an explanation of how to use the included alphabets, lessons, words of one-two syllables, easy stories, and "a copious Set of Monosyllables, classed agreeably to their Sounds" (frontispiece).
1788 Fenn publishes Tommy Thumb's Songbook, aimed at nurses, continuing her interests in teaching materials for adults. Her Sunday school is now teaching over 100 poor children. 1789 She continues to write and publish, including The Fairy Spectator, described by M. V. Jackson as an "anti-fairy tale" (qtd. by Stoker) and The Juvenile Tatler. By a Society of Young Ladies under the tutalege of Mrs. Teachwell. These are unusual epistolary letters and articles by the fictive "young ladies" in which her pseudonymous self appears as a character. 1790 Fenn continues to use letters and conversations to teach about nature in Lilliputian Spectacle de la Nature. She publishes popular books of instructions for mothers such as The Rational Dame. 1794 John Fenn dies, leaving Ellenor financially secure. She continues her work with school development, establishing a trade school (needlework, tow-spinning) to give poor women and girls a viable trade. 1795 Fenn breaks with John Marshall (possibly over his publication of Hannah More's works). Her works were then mainly published by Elizabeth Newbery in London, though Marshall also continued with new editions of her former works. 1798-9 Fenn publishes works on grammar for children and their mothers, encouraging them to teach girls as well as boys this formerly male-only subject. The Child's Grammar, and The Mother's Grammar in particular are incredibly popular and go through many editions, being sold into the 1820s. Fenn continues to write, publishing Family Miscellany as late as 1805. 1813 Lady Ellenor Fenn dies on November 1, leaving the bulk of her estate to her nephew William Frere. She is remembered as the "Lady Bountiful" of Dereham (Borrow, qtd. by Stoker) |