Author: Frances Mary Synge
Author: Frances Mary Synge (1842–1883)
Alternate Name(s): F. M. S. (pseudonym); Owen (married name); BTAO "Harry's Battles"
Biography: Frances Mary Synge was born on 16 April 1842 in County Wicklow, Ireland, the youngest child of John Synge. From a young age, she wrote fiction for S. P. C. K. and other publishers under her initials beginning with Willy's Lesson (1860). In 1870, she married the Rev. James Albert Owen, the headmaster of Cheltenham College. In later life, Synge wrote books on George Washington and John Keats. She died suddenly on 19 June 1883 in Cheltenham. Her entry in Boase neglects to list her fiction, but several obituaries note her young adult fiction.
Author Tags:
References: Boase; British Census (1881); Cheltenham Examiner (27 June 1883); Reilly
Fiction Titles:
- Willy's Lesson. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1860.
- Harry's Battles: and How He Fought Them. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1861.
- My Sister Patience. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1861.
- The Children of Oakford Farm. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1862.
- Brother Reginald's Golden Secret. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1862.
- Susy's Flowers: or, 'Blessed are the Merciful, for they shall obtain mercy'. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1862.
- Little Aggie's Fresh Snow-Drops, and What They Did in One Day. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1863.
- Martha's Home: and How the Sunshine Came into It. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1863.
- Edith Vernon's Life-Work. 1 vol. London: John Morgan, 1864.
- Winifred Leigh. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1865.
- Archie Grey: or, Doing it Heartily. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1867.
- King Jack of Haylands: A Tale of School Life. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1868.
- A Lost Piece of Silver. 1 vol. London: Wells, Gardner, Darton, 1870.
- Hope On: or, "The House that Jack Built". A Tale for the Young. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1871.