Author: Frances Brough
Author: Frances Brough (1803–1897)
Alternate Name(s): Whiteside (maiden name)
Biography: Frances "Fanny" Brough was born in 1803, the daughter of Mr. Whiteside. In 1827, she married Barnabas Brough (died 1854), a brewer and collier owner of Pontypool. Her husband's business failed after he served as the chief witness for the Crown against chartist John Frost in 1840. The couple's four sons all achieved artistic success: William (1826–70) was a writer and journalist; Robert Barnabas (1828–60) was a novelist and editor of The Welcome Guest; John Cargill (1834–72) was an author and librarian; and Lionel (1836–1900) was a journalist and actor. A granddaughter, Fanny Whiteside Brough (1854–1914) was a noted actress. Inspired, no doubt, by her literary and theatrical children, she herself turned to literature late in life, writing poetry and two novels: Madame Vernet (1864) and Hidden Fire (1867). She died in 1897 in London.
Author Tags:
References: Annual Register for 1897 (1898); Boase; DNB (William Brough; Robert Brough)
Fiction Titles:
- Madame Vernet. 2 vol. London: Tinsley Brothers, 1864.
- Hidden Fire: A Novel. 3 vol. London: Tinsley Brothers, 1867.