Margaret Gatty

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Margaret Gatty (née Scott) (3 June 1809 – 4 October 1873) was an English writer of children's literature.[1]

Gatty was born in Burnham on Crouch, Essex, the daughter of the Rev. Alexander John Scott, D.D., a Royal Navy chaplain, who served under, and was the trusted friend of, Lord Nelson on board the HMS Victory before and during the Battle of Trafalgar.

She married the Rev. Alfred Gatty, D.D., Ecclesfield, Yorkshire in 1839 and moved into the vicarage of Church of St. Mary shortly after. She became a highly useful and popular writer of tales for young people. Among her books may be mentioned Parables from Nature, Worlds not Realised, Proverbs Illustrated, and Aunt Judy's Tales. She also conducted Aunt Judy's Magazine, a family publication written by various members of Margaret's large family.[2]

She became fascinated with marine biology, possibly on the advice of William Henry Harvey, who she had met while convalescing in Hastings in 1848. Following this, she wrote a book on British seaweeds which was more accessible than what had been written previously on the subject. She corresponded with many of the greatest marine biologists of her day including George Busk and Robert Brown. Margaret Gatty amassed a large collection of marine material, much of which gathered by her correspondents in far flung corners of the British Empire. This was donated to Weston Park Museum by her daughter, Horatia Katherine Francis Gatty.

Gatty suffered from ill health for most of her life and is thought to have suffered from undiagnosed Multiple Sclerosis. Her frequent bouts of illness resulted in a close friendship with Dr. George Johnston, a Doctor noted for advocating pain relieving medication. He advised her on the use of Chloroform during childbirth and Gatty became the first woman in Sheffield to use the drug during labour.

Gatty was the mother of Juliana Horatia Ewing, also a writer of children's books, and Alfred Scott-Gatty, who served as Garter Principal King of Arms.

The standard author abbreviation Gatty is used to indicate this individual as the author when citing a botanical name.[3]

References

  1. ↑  "Gatty, Margaret". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 
  2. ↑ Sutherland, John (1990). The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction. Stanford University Press. p. 33. ISBN 0-8047-1842-3. 
  3. ↑ "Author Query for 'Gatty'". International Plant Names Index. 

External links

Library resources about
Margaret Gatty
By Margaret Gatty

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London: J. M. Dent & Sons. Wikisource

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