West, Jane, 1758-1852 (née Iliffe, novelist, poet)
Dates
- Existence: 1758 - 1852
Biography
Jane West [nee Iliffe] (1758-1852), novelist and poet was born in London, moving to Desborough, Northamptonshire, with her parents when she was eleven. She married Thomas West, a yeoman farmer, in 1783 and they had three children. Apparently self-taught, her works centered on conservative judgments of politics and a woman's role in society. Under the pseudonym of Prudentia Homespun, she published many novels, including 'The Advantages of Education' (1793) and 'A Gossip's Story' (1796). Her poetic works were quite popular at the time, being published in many journals and anthologies, but is largely forgotten in present day. She passed away on 25 March 1852 in Little Bowden.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Jane West: Extracts from tour journals chronicling travels in Wales and Ireland
Includes three poems. Early nineteenth-century hand (paper watermarked 1813), apparently not autograph. The poems are 'To Glen Luce', 'To Mrs Isted on her return from Ireland in 1807', and 'A Farewell to Leamington, 1833'. Bookplate of Samuel Sandars inside front cover.