Other British Voices: Women, Poetry, and Religion, 1766-1840

Other British Voices examines the lives and writings of four nonconformist women - Mary Steele (1753-1813), Mary Scott (1751-93), Jane Attwater (1753-1843), and Elizabeth Coltman (1761-1838) - who comprised the heart of a vibrant literary circle in the West Country of England between 1766 and 1840. These women exhibited in their poetry, prose, and life writings a keen awareness of contemporary political events; a devotion to their faith, mainly expressed in their life writings; radical opinions on courtship, marriage, and women's education; and distinct Romantic sensibilities in regard to nature and the emotions. Here, Timothy Whelan recreates the literary and cultural life of this ground-breaking group of women through their autobiographical verses, friendship poems, spiritual autobiography, and diaries, both published and unpublished.