Margaret Gatty

Margaret Gatty (née Scott, 3 June 1809 – 4 October 1873) was an English children's author and writer on marine biology.[1] Some of her writings argue against Charles Darwin's Origin of Species.

Margaret Gatty
Margaret Gatty (née Scott)
Born3 June 1809
Burnham on Crouch, England
Died4 October 1873(1873-10-04) (aged 64)
NationalityEnglish
Other namesMargaret Scott
Educationat home
Known forchildren's books; marine biology
Spouse(s)Rev. Alfred Gatty
ChildrenHoratia Katherine Francis Gatty, Juliana Horatia Ewing, Charles Tindal Gatty, Alfred Scott-Gatty
Parent(s)Rev. Alexander John and Mary Frances (née Ryder) Scott

She became a popular writer of tales targeted at young people, which she hoped would influence the minds of adults as well.[2] Among her other books are Parables from Nature, Worlds not Realized, Proverbs Illustrated, and Aunt Judy's Tales. She also edited Aunt Judy's Magazine, a family publication written by various members of her large family.[3]

Science

Gatty became fascinated by marine biology through contact with a second cousin, Charles Henry Gatty, a Royal Society member.[4] There may also have been influence from William Henry Harvey, whom she met while convalescing in Hastings in 1848. She corresponded with many great marine biologists of her day including George Busk and Robert Brown. She wrote British Sea Weeds, a book that was more accessible than previous ones on the subject. This illustrated book, published in 1872, was the outcome of 14 years' work and described 200 species.

Gatty amassed a large collection of marine material, gathered by herself and by correspondents in far corners of the British Empire.[5] This was donated to Weston Park Museum by her daughter, Horatia Katherine Francis Gatty.

Several species of seaweed were named after her, including the Australian monospecific genus Gattya pinnella.[6]

Gatty's other collecting and scientific interests included sundials, which led to a book in 1872 describing 350 of them. It focused on their artistry and literary nature rather than their astronomical aspects, although it discussed historical developments. The coverage of sundials on mainland Europe and some illustrations were major contributions from a friend, Eleanor Lloyd.[8]

Children's literature

While many see her interests in literature and science as independent, she used the combination of children's literature and scientific curiosity as a way to argue against Charles Darwin's Origin of Species. Primarily in Parables from Nature, Gatty could preach to children in a way they enjoyed, in which God and nature were treated concurrently. The publication of the Parables coincided with the evolutionary theories, so that her writing influenced children's attitudes towards science.[2] It tended to have a strong moral tone, and often used religion and God to influence their upbringing.[9] Victorian children's literature at the time was designed to teach children lessons and morals rather than capture their attention. Gatty's increased use of illustrations and folk and fairy tales meant children enjoyed reading her more.[10]

Selected works

Her fiction for children includes:

  • The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales (London: George Bell, 1851) – four stories dedicated "To My Children"[11] Gatty was paid in marine botany books for this.[1]
  • Parables from Nature (1855 to 1871) – "First Series", "Second Series", etc.
  • Legendary Tales, illustrated by Phiz (Bell and Daldy, 1858)[12]
  • Aunt Judy's Tales (1859)
  • Aunt Judy's Letters, illustrated by Clara S. Lane (Bell and Daldy, 1862) – sequel to Tales[13]

She also authored, collaborated and translated academic works:

Personal life

Gatty was born in Burnham on Crouch, Essex, the daughter of the Rev. Alexander John Scott D. D. and Mary Frances née Ryder. Her father was a linguist, scholar and Royal Navy chaplain who served under Lord Nelson. Her mother died when she was young and she took on a major caring role in the family consisting of her father, grandfather and younger sister. She and her sister were educated at home learning languages and writing poetry.[1]

The family knew a local curate Rev. Alfred Gatty, D.D. from 1837 onwards. She married him on 8 July 1839 at St Giles in the Fields, Holborn, Camden,[14] (after overcoming her father's objections) and moved into the vicarage of the Ecclesfield Church of St Mary shortly after, on the recommendation of her uncle.[1] They had eight children. In 1848 she was introduced to collecting marine algae while in Hastings recovering from a breakdown.

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

Gatty suffered from ill health for most of her life, possibly from undiagnosed multiple sclerosis. Her frequent illnesses brought close friendship with Dr George Johnston, who was noted for advocating pain-relieving medication. He advised her to use chloroform during childbirth and Gatty became the first woman in Sheffield to do so. She died at home on 4 October 1873.

References
  1. Drain, Susan. "Gatty [née Scott], Margaret (1809–1873)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  2. Rauch, Alan (1997). "Parables and Parodies: Margaret Gatty's Audiences in the Parables from Nature". Children's Literature. 25: 138–150. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  3. Sutherland, John (1990). The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction. Stanford University Press. p. 33. ISBN 0-8047-1842-3.
  4. Felbridge and District History Group Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  5. Plaisier, H.; Bryant, J. A.; Irvine, L. M.; Mclean, A.; Jones, M.; Spencer Jones, M. E. (October 2016). "The life and work of Margaret Gatty (1809–1873), with particular reference to her seaweed collections". Archives of Natural History. 43 (2): 336–350. doi:10.3366/anh.2016.0388. ISSN 0260-9541.
  6. Harvey, William H. (1849). "Some Account of the Marine Botany of the Colony of Western Australia". The Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy. 22: 525–566. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  7. IPNI.  Gatty.
  8. Gatty, Margaret. "The Book of Sun-dials". Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  9. "The lives of 'the other Brontes'". The Yorkshire Post. Johnston Press New Media. 5 January 2008. ProQuest 335515584.
  10. Evans, Denise; Onorato, Mary. "Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism". enotes. Gale Cengage. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  11. "Catalog Record: The fairy godmothers : and other tales". HathiTrust Digital Library (HDL). Retrieved 10 July 2019.
    HathiTrust provides full view of one copy with original covers and endpapers.
  12. "Catalog Record: Legendary tales". HDL. Retrieved 10 July 2019. HDL provides full view of three copies whose covers and endpapers differ.
  13. "Catalog Record: Aunt Judy's letters". HDL. Retrieved 10 July 2019. HDL provides full view of one copy, probably without original covers and endpapers.
  14. Church of England Marriage Banns, accessed via ancestry.com paid subscription site, February 2018.

Further reading
  • Browning, D. C.; Cousin, John W. (1969). Everyman's Dictionary of Literary Biography. London: J. M. Dent & Sons.
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 – via Wikisource.

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