Name Charlotte Moberly | ||
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Charlotte Anne Elizabeth Moberly (1846–1937) was an English academic and writer. She was the daughter of George Moberly, and was made the first Principal of St Hugh's College, Oxford. She rose to fame following an incident where she came to believe that she had slipped back in time whilst visiting the Petit Trianon in Versailles with fellow academic Eleanor Jourdain.
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Family
Born in Winchester on 16 September 1846, Moberly was one of ten children. Her father was George Moberly and her mother was Mary Anne (1812–1890). One of her brothers was Robert Moberly, the first Principal of St Stephen's House, Oxford. Tutored at home by a private teacher and her mother, she also gained basic skills in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. She participated at length in discussions about the Oxford Movement with John Keble, who had baptised her and whose wife was her god-mother.
Career
In 1869, Moberly undertook secretarial duties for her father who had been appointed as Bishop of Salisbury. She continued in this capacity, with the additional duties of nursing him when his health deteriorated, until he died in 1885. Elizabeth Wordsworth established St. Hugh's Hall in 1886 and Moberly was appointed as Principal, where she served until her retirement in 1915. Under Moberly's leadership, the school transitioned in 1911 from a domestic hall to St Hugh's College, Oxford. She remained a member of the governing council of the college until her death and was an honorary fellow.
Works
In addition to the collaborative work with Eleanor Jourdain, An Adventure, published under the pseudonyms Elizabeth Morison and Frances Lamont, Moberly published several other works. An Adventure is a classic ghost story based on a joint experience they had at Versailles and became a best-seller which was reprinted in editions in 1913, 1924, 1931, 1955, and 1988. Other works include: