Digital Victorian Periodical Poetry

Working-class poet. Pseudonym: The ‘Irish Girl.’ Born in Newry, Country Down, emigrating with her parents to Ayr. Worked as a farm servant. Published poems in the Ayr Advertiser. Published a poem on the 1844 Burns’ Festival. Poetry volumes: The Opening of the Sixth Seal and Other Poems (1846), Miscellaneous Poems (1856), Poems (1861), Poems and Songs (1880). After her 1846 volume, Dr Hamilton of Beechgrove, Mauchline, became her patron and educated her. Married Dougal Douglas, who gave up his position as a schoolmaster to travel locally selling her poems, although shortly afterwards he died in an Ayr hospital (Colman states that he was “very intemperate”). In 1848 she applied to the Royal Literary Fund for assistance to return home to Ayr from London, where she had unsuccessfully tried to find work as a lady’s companion. Moved to Glasgow to live with her sister, but died in destitution. Biographical information: David Herschell Edwards, Modern Scottish Poets, third series, D. H. Edwards, 1881, pp. 282-3; Reilly, Mid-Victorian Poetry, pp. 137-8; Boos 33; Colman pp. 182-3. (AC)