Priscilla Wakefield
- Rosy Aindow (University of Nottingham)
Directed primarily at a juvenile audience, Priscilla Wakefield wrote on a wide range of educational topics, including science and travel. As the aunt of the prison reformer Elizabeth Fry and as the grandmother of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, the colonial statesman, Wakefield was known for her philanthropic work, particularly the setting up of the penny savings bank. She was also one of a number of female writers – including Hannah More and Catherine Macaulay – who addressed the problems inherent in contemporary female education.
Born in Tottenham in 1751 to Daniel Bell (a coal merchant) and Catherine Barclay, Wakefield was one of five children, three of whom survived into adulthood. Having originally come from Westmoreland in the La
First published 18 April 2006
Citation: Aindow, Rosy. "Priscilla Wakefield". The Literary Encyclopedia. 18 April 2006
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4573, accessed 30 July 2010.]
4573 Priscilla Wakefield 1 Short Notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.