Sarah Wilkinson

Sarah Scudgell Wilkinson (14 December 1779 – 19 March 1831) was an English writer of children's books and novels. Some of her many chapbooks adapted existing novels. Early life Wilkinson was born 14 December 1779 and baptised as Sarah Carr Wilkinson. Her parents were Hannah and William. She was born into and remained in the middle class throughout her life, often on the edge of poverty. In 1788, John Marshall published Midsummer Holydays; or, A Long Story, which is credited to Wilkinson, a claim substantiated in the publication Visits to the Parsonage; or, the Juvenile Assembly. She had wanted to work with literature since girlhood. Wilkinson made early connections through reading to Lady Charlotte Finch, who was blind. Adult life Wilkinson lived in London for much of her life. In 1806 she was living in Soho, in 1807 in Westminster, and in 1818 near Maidenhead in Berkshire. She is said to have had a husband named Scadgell, described as "nebulous", who died in 1818, and a daughter Amelia, born about 1807. For some years she earned an income from a circulating library, acquired with financial and networking assistance from Lady Charlotte Finch, but this failed after 1811. She took in boarders, taught at Whitechapel Free School in Gower's Walk in eastern London, later served as a schoolmistress at Bray in Berkshire and started a day-school herself. In 1818, she gained financial support from the Royal Literary Fund, in amounts varying between two and five pounds. In 1820, while struggling to support herself with a parlour shop as well as selling tape and picture books for children, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In 1821, she resumed writing and editing. She nearly ended up in debtors' prison due to breaking a window. She again petitioned the Royal Literary Fund for aid, citing the difficulty of earning income as a female; furthermore, her publishers backed her petitions by attesting to her hard work and the sufferings of the publishing industry. Sarah Wilkinson's daughter Amelia obtained work in a lady's household. In 1824, the Royal Literary Fund provided five pounds towards her medical care; as a result, she underwent two surgical operations in St. George's Hospital.