The Monthly Packet was an English magazine published between 1851 and 1899, [1] founded by members of the Oxford Movement to counter Anglo-Catholic extremism. It was strongly influenced by its first editor, the novelist Charlotte Mary Yonge, with aims of providing instruction, entertainment and improvement. Other, unstated aims were to encourage interest in education, missionary work, and charity.
The Monthly Packet of Evening Readings for Younger Members of the English Church, as shown in "The Introductory Letter" in Volume 1, was targeted at middle and upper-class Anglican girls. Evidence suggests readership actually included males, adults and members of the lower classes. (By July, 1880, the word "Younger" had been dropped from the title.)
The magazine encouraged attitudes that included the prevailing view of religious and social standards. Over time, the approach was modified: Anglo-Catholic contributions were accepted, and it became more tolerant of Roman Catholicism and Nonconformism. It came to recognize that certain ills in society, such as poverty and ignorance, needed to be addressed. There was less emphasis on submission and obedience.
The Monthly Packet was the first periodical to publish Lewis Carroll's short stories, which were later compiled into A Tangled Tale. Other literary contributors included Rosa Nouchette Carey with her novel Heriot's Choice in 1879. [2]
Charlotte Mary Yonge as a churchwoman was influenced by John Keble, one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement. She combined editing The Monthly Packet with writing novels, biography, history, school textbooks, and pieces for her magazine. To some extent, the magazine can be seen as an expression of her personality and beliefs. She describes her audience in the first editorial as "daughters of our own beloved Catholic church in England" (meaning that the Church of England is by definition a part of the universal church). However, unusual work such as that by Lewis Carroll was also included. In 1891 the novelist Christabel Coleridge became the assistant editor. She was sole editor from 1894.
The magazine offers insights into Victorian life, especially regarding religious attitudes. Other subjects of interest are history, education, sociology and women's studies.
Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches.
Ann Radcliffe was an English novelist and a pioneer of Gothic fiction. Her technique of explaining apparently supernatural elements in her novels has been credited with gaining respectability for Gothic fiction in the 1790s. Radcliffe was the most popular writer of her day and almost universally admired; contemporary critics called her the mighty enchantress and the Shakespeare of romance-writers, and her popularity continued through the 19th century. Interest in Radcliffe and her work has revived in the early 21st century, with the publication of three biographies.
Charlotte Mary Yonge was an English novelist, who wrote in the service of the church. Her abundant books helped to spread the influence of the Oxford Movement and show her keen interest in matters of public health and sanitation.
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1909.
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1861.
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1860.
Juliana Horatia Ewing was an English writer of children's stories. Her writings display a sympathetic insight into children's lives, an admiration for things military, and a strong religious faith.
Otterbourne is a village in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately four miles (6.4 km) south of Winchester and eight miles (13 km) north of Southampton. At the 2011 census, its population was 1,539, and there were 626 dwellings.
Ellen Price was an English novelist better known as Mrs. Henry Wood. She is best remembered for her 1861 novel East Lynne. Many of her books sold well internationally and were widely read in the United States. In her time, she surpassed Charles Dickens in fame in Australia.
The Society of the Atonement, also known as the Friars and Sisters of the Atonement or Graymoor Friars and Sisters, is a Franciscan religious congregation in the Catholic Church. The friars and sisters were founded in 1898 by Paul Wattson and Lurana White as a religious community in the Episcopal Church. The religious order is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the Marian title of Our Lady of Atonement.
Marghanita Laski was an English journalist, radio panellist and novelist. She also wrote literary biography, plays and short stories, and contributed about 250,000 additions to the Oxford English Dictionary.
The Girl's Own Paper (G.O.P.) was a British story paper catering to girls and young women, published from 1880 until 1956.
Christabel Rose Coleridge was an English novelist and an editor of girls' magazines, sometimes in collaboration with the novelist Charlotte Mary Yonge. Her views on the role of women in society were conservative.
Frances Margaret Taylor, religious name Mary Magdalen of the Sacred Heart was an English religious sister and founder of the congregation of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God.
Lucy Bethia (Colquhoun) Walford was a Scottish novelist and artist, who wrote 45 books, the majority of them "light-hearted domestic comedies". Accurate writing was a big consideration for her.
Elizabeth Missing Sewell was an English author of religious and educational texts notable in the 19th century. As a home tutor, she devised a set of influential principles of education.
SisterEsther Newport, S.P., (1901–1986) was an American painter, sculptor, and art educator who founded the Catholic Art Association and served as the founding editor of the Christian Social Art Quarterly.
Rosa Nouchette Carey was an English children's writer and popular novelist, whose works reflected the values of her time and were thought of as wholesome for girls. However, they are "not entirely bereft of grit and realism."
Mary Susanna Lee (1846–1908) and her sister Catherine Harriet Lee (1847–1914) were English writers of children's fiction. Several of their books had a historical setting; some were targeted at girls. They were usually co-authors and published as M. and C. Lee or Mary and Catherine Lee.