Mary Charlton (fl. 1794–1824), Gothic novelist and translator, was a "leading light" at the
Minerva Press.[1]
Work
Mary Charlton was a prolific novelist and translator for the popular
Minerva Press,[2][3] to the extent that publisher
William Lane named her in sixth place on his list of "particular and favourite Authors" in his prospectus.[4] Although the Press was frequently seen as low-brow and even disreputable, Charlton herself seems to have often received solid reviews: the Critical Review described Andronica as "interesting and amusing"[5] and the Anti-Jacobin refers to the "elegant satire and delicate irony" of Rosella.[6]Rosella is "a satire on novel-reading" [4] and her other novels contain "socially critical" elements alongside the Gothic.[1] At least two of her novels, Rosella and The Pirate of Naples, were translated into French and published in Paris, and several of her works went into second editions.
The parisian; or, genuine anecdotes of distinguished and Noble Characters. In two volumes. (London: Minerva Press, 1794)
Andronica, or the fugitive bride, a novel, in two volumes. By Mary Charlton. (London: Minerva Press, 1797)
Ammorvin and Zallida. A novel. In two volumes. (London: Minerva Press, 1798)
Phedora; or, the forest of Minski. In four volumes. By Mary Charlton. (London: Minerva Press, 1798)
Rosella, or modern occurrences. A novel. In four volumes. By Mary Charlton, author of Phedora, &c. (London: Minerva; Paris; Dublin: P. Wogan, W. Porter, and T. Burnside, 1799)
The Pirate of Naples. A Novel. In three volumes. By Mary Charlton, Author of Rosella, Andronica, Phedora, &c. (London: Minerva; Paris: Le Normant, 1801)
The Wife and the Mistress. A Novel. In four volumes. By Mary Charlton, author of The Pirate of Naples, Rosella, Andronica, &c. &c. 4 volumes. (London: Minerva Press, 1802; 2nd ed: 1803)
The Philosophic Kidnapper. A Novel. In Three Volumes. Altered from the French by the Author of The Wife and The Mistress. (London: Minerva Press, 1803)[7]
The Homicide. A Novel. Taken from The Comedie di
Goldoni, by Mary Charlton, author of "The Wife and Mistress" &c. In Two Volumes. (London: Minerva Press, 1805; 2nd ed: Rosaura di Viralva; or, The Homicide in 1813)[7]
Grandeur and Meanness; or, Domestic Persecution. A Novel. In Three Volumes. By Mary Charlton, author of The Wife and Mistress, Rosella, &c. &c. (London: A.K. Newman, 1824)
Past Events. An Historical Novel, of the Eighteenth Century, by the author of "The Wife and the Mistress," "The Pirate of Naples," "Rosella," "Andronica," &c. &c. In three volumes. (London: R.P. Moore, 1824; 2nd ed: Past Events; or the Treacherous Guide, a Romance, 1830)
Translations
Lafontaine, August Heinrich Julius. The Reprobate. A Novel. In Two Volumes. Translated by the Author of The Wife and the Mistress, &c. The Original by Augustus La Fontaine. (London: Minerva Press, 1802)
Lafontaine, August Heinrich Julius. The Rake and the Misanthrope. A Novel. In Two Volumes. From the German of Augustus La Fontaine.(London: Minerva Press, 1804)
Children's literature
Mrs. Charlton's pathetic poetry for youth: calculated to awaken the sympathetic affections. (London: Knevett, Arliss, and Baker, 1811; 2nd ed.: Whittingham and Arliss, 1815)
Etexts
Grandeur and Meanness; or, Domestic persecution. A novel. (London: A. K. Newman & Co, 1824.) (
British Library)
The homicide. A novel. Taken from the comedie di Goldoni. 2 volumes (London: Minerva-Press, 1805) (Internet Archive:
Vol. I &
Vol. II); (HathiTrust:
Vol. I,
Vol. II)
The Parisian, or, Genuine Anecdotes of Distinguished and Noble Characters (London: William Lane, 1794) (
PDF at Chawton House Library)
Past Events. An historical novel of the eighteenth century, by the author of "The Wife and the Mistress," etc. (London, 1824) (
British Library)
Phedora; or, the Forest of Minski. A novel. (London: William Lane, 1798) (
British Library)
Le pirate de Naples. Traduit de l'anglais. (Paris: Le Normant, 1801.) (
British Library)
The Reprobate. A Novel. In Two Volumes. Translated by the Author of The Wife and the Mistress, &c. The Original by Augustus La Fontaine. (London: Minerva Press, 1802) (Google Books:
Vol. IVol. II)
Rosella, or Modern occurrences, a novel. 2 volumes (Orig. pub. 1799. Dublin: P. Wogan, W. Porter, and T. Burnside, 1800) (Internet Archive:
Vol. I &
Vol. II); (HathiTrust:
Vol. I,
Vol. II)
^
abGrenby, M. O. "Charlton, Mary (fl. 1794–1824), writer and translator." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 03. Oxford University Press. Date of access 21 Jul. 2022.
^Rev. of Andronica by Mary Charlton in Critical Review Vol. 21 (1797): 117. (
Covey)
^Rev. of Rosella by Mary Charlton in Anti-Jacobin Vol. 1 (1801): 59-60. (
Covey)
^
abThe Oxford Dictionary of National Biography categorizes this text as a translation, but the Women's Print History Project names Charlton as author rather than translator, presumably on the basis that the translation is to a significant extent creative.
Resources
"Charlton, Mary." The Women's Print History Project, 2019, Person ID 629. Accessed 2022-07-20. (
WPHP)
Grenby, M. O. "Charlton, Mary (fl. 1794–1824), writer and translator." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 03. Oxford University Press. Accessed 2022-07-20.
"Mary Charlton." Orlando: Women’s Writing in the British Isles from the Beginnings to the Present. Accessed 2022-07-20. (
Orlando)
Mary Charlton (fl. 1794–1824), Gothic novelist and translator, was a "leading light" at the
Minerva Press.[1]
Work
Mary Charlton was a prolific novelist and translator for the popular
Minerva Press,[2][3] to the extent that publisher
William Lane named her in sixth place on his list of "particular and favourite Authors" in his prospectus.[4] Although the Press was frequently seen as low-brow and even disreputable, Charlton herself seems to have often received solid reviews: the Critical Review described Andronica as "interesting and amusing"[5] and the Anti-Jacobin refers to the "elegant satire and delicate irony" of Rosella.[6]Rosella is "a satire on novel-reading" [4] and her other novels contain "socially critical" elements alongside the Gothic.[1] At least two of her novels, Rosella and The Pirate of Naples, were translated into French and published in Paris, and several of her works went into second editions.
The parisian; or, genuine anecdotes of distinguished and Noble Characters. In two volumes. (London: Minerva Press, 1794)
Andronica, or the fugitive bride, a novel, in two volumes. By Mary Charlton. (London: Minerva Press, 1797)
Ammorvin and Zallida. A novel. In two volumes. (London: Minerva Press, 1798)
Phedora; or, the forest of Minski. In four volumes. By Mary Charlton. (London: Minerva Press, 1798)
Rosella, or modern occurrences. A novel. In four volumes. By Mary Charlton, author of Phedora, &c. (London: Minerva; Paris; Dublin: P. Wogan, W. Porter, and T. Burnside, 1799)
The Pirate of Naples. A Novel. In three volumes. By Mary Charlton, Author of Rosella, Andronica, Phedora, &c. (London: Minerva; Paris: Le Normant, 1801)
The Wife and the Mistress. A Novel. In four volumes. By Mary Charlton, author of The Pirate of Naples, Rosella, Andronica, &c. &c. 4 volumes. (London: Minerva Press, 1802; 2nd ed: 1803)
The Philosophic Kidnapper. A Novel. In Three Volumes. Altered from the French by the Author of The Wife and The Mistress. (London: Minerva Press, 1803)[7]
The Homicide. A Novel. Taken from The Comedie di
Goldoni, by Mary Charlton, author of "The Wife and Mistress" &c. In Two Volumes. (London: Minerva Press, 1805; 2nd ed: Rosaura di Viralva; or, The Homicide in 1813)[7]
Grandeur and Meanness; or, Domestic Persecution. A Novel. In Three Volumes. By Mary Charlton, author of The Wife and Mistress, Rosella, &c. &c. (London: A.K. Newman, 1824)
Past Events. An Historical Novel, of the Eighteenth Century, by the author of "The Wife and the Mistress," "The Pirate of Naples," "Rosella," "Andronica," &c. &c. In three volumes. (London: R.P. Moore, 1824; 2nd ed: Past Events; or the Treacherous Guide, a Romance, 1830)
Translations
Lafontaine, August Heinrich Julius. The Reprobate. A Novel. In Two Volumes. Translated by the Author of The Wife and the Mistress, &c. The Original by Augustus La Fontaine. (London: Minerva Press, 1802)
Lafontaine, August Heinrich Julius. The Rake and the Misanthrope. A Novel. In Two Volumes. From the German of Augustus La Fontaine.(London: Minerva Press, 1804)
Children's literature
Mrs. Charlton's pathetic poetry for youth: calculated to awaken the sympathetic affections. (London: Knevett, Arliss, and Baker, 1811; 2nd ed.: Whittingham and Arliss, 1815)
Etexts
Grandeur and Meanness; or, Domestic persecution. A novel. (London: A. K. Newman & Co, 1824.) (
British Library)
The homicide. A novel. Taken from the comedie di Goldoni. 2 volumes (London: Minerva-Press, 1805) (Internet Archive:
Vol. I &
Vol. II); (HathiTrust:
Vol. I,
Vol. II)
The Parisian, or, Genuine Anecdotes of Distinguished and Noble Characters (London: William Lane, 1794) (
PDF at Chawton House Library)
Past Events. An historical novel of the eighteenth century, by the author of "The Wife and the Mistress," etc. (London, 1824) (
British Library)
Phedora; or, the Forest of Minski. A novel. (London: William Lane, 1798) (
British Library)
Le pirate de Naples. Traduit de l'anglais. (Paris: Le Normant, 1801.) (
British Library)
The Reprobate. A Novel. In Two Volumes. Translated by the Author of The Wife and the Mistress, &c. The Original by Augustus La Fontaine. (London: Minerva Press, 1802) (Google Books:
Vol. IVol. II)
Rosella, or Modern occurrences, a novel. 2 volumes (Orig. pub. 1799. Dublin: P. Wogan, W. Porter, and T. Burnside, 1800) (Internet Archive:
Vol. I &
Vol. II); (HathiTrust:
Vol. I,
Vol. II)
^
abGrenby, M. O. "Charlton, Mary (fl. 1794–1824), writer and translator." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 03. Oxford University Press. Date of access 21 Jul. 2022.
^Rev. of Andronica by Mary Charlton in Critical Review Vol. 21 (1797): 117. (
Covey)
^Rev. of Rosella by Mary Charlton in Anti-Jacobin Vol. 1 (1801): 59-60. (
Covey)
^
abThe Oxford Dictionary of National Biography categorizes this text as a translation, but the Women's Print History Project names Charlton as author rather than translator, presumably on the basis that the translation is to a significant extent creative.
Resources
"Charlton, Mary." The Women's Print History Project, 2019, Person ID 629. Accessed 2022-07-20. (
WPHP)
Grenby, M. O. "Charlton, Mary (fl. 1794–1824), writer and translator." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 03. Oxford University Press. Accessed 2022-07-20.
"Mary Charlton." Orlando: Women’s Writing in the British Isles from the Beginnings to the Present. Accessed 2022-07-20. (
Orlando)