Explore Collections Explore The Collections
You are here: CollectionsOnline  /  The merchant's widow and her family. By the author of The officer's widow and her family; Clergyman's widow and family; Daughter-in-law, &c.
  • Image Not Yet Available
Hofland, Barbara (1770--1844) - Poetical illustrations
The merchant's widow and her family. By the author of The officer's widow and her family; Clergyman's widow and family; Daughter-in-law, &c.
London (Place), printed at the Minerva-Press for A.K. Newman and Co.,, 1814.
[4], iii, [1], 236 p., frontis. pl.; 19 cm. (12º)

The 'Author Of The Officer's Widow ...' = Barbara Hofland. Imprint on half-title and colophon: Printed by J. Darling. Barbara Hofland was a poet, children's writer and novelist who became a friend of the Soanes. Soane found himself featured by name in a passage of the book in which the widow's little boy Edward expresses the aspiration "to be just such a man as Mr. Soane, an architecture gentleman" (pp. 76--80). Despite the warm praise and perhaps due to the rather different feelings of his own sons, Soane took exception and the passage was removed in future editions (and the title slightly altered), without affecting his friendship with Hofland. See Gillian Darley, John Soane: an accidental romantic (London 1999), pp. 232--3; Dennis Butts, Mistress of our tears (Aldershot 1992), pp. 65--6, no.17.

Copy Notes Inscribed on free-endpaper in ink John Soane / Sat: 24 Sept: 1814 / I first heard of this Novel / & it was purchased on / Monday the 26th.

Binding C19th publisher's blue paper boards, brown paper spine, printed paper spine-label.

Reference Number 4621

Additional Names Soane, Sir John (1753--1837) - In fiction


If you have any further information about this book,
please contact us:

books@soane.org.uk