1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Yonge, Charlotte Mary

YONGE, CHARLOTTE MARY (1823–1901), English novelist and writer on religious and educational subjects, daughter of William Crawley Yonge, 52nd Regiment, and Frances Mary Bargus, was born on the 11th of August 1823 at Otterbourne, Hants. She was educated by her parents, and from them inherited much of the religious feeling and High Church sympathy which coloured her work. She resided at Otterbourne all her life, and was one of the most prolific writers of the Victorian era. In 1841 she published five works of fiction, including The Clever Woman of the Family, Dynevor Terrace and The Trial; and after that she was the author of about 120 volumes, including novels, tales, school manuals and biographies. Her first conspicuous success was attained with The Heir of Redclyffe (1853), which enjoyed an enormous vogue. The Daisy Chain (1856) continued the success; and among her other popular books may be mentioned Heartsease (1854), The Young Stepmother (1861) and The Dove in the Eagle’s Nest (1866). In more serious fields of literature she published Landmarks of History (three series, 1852–57), History of Christian Names (1863), Cameos of English History (1868), Life of Bishop Patteson (1874), English Church History for Use in Schools (1883) and many others. She also edited various educational works, and was for more than thirty years editor of the Monthly Packet. She died at Otterbourne on 23rd March 1901. Her books err on the side of didacticism, but exercised a wide and wholesome influence. The money realized by the early sales of The Daisy Chain was given to the building of a missionary college at Auckland, N.Z., while a large portion of the proceeds of The Heir of Redclyffe was devoted to the missionary schooner “The Southern Cross.”

See Charlotte Mary Yonge: an Appreciation, by Ethel Romanes (1908).