Occupation Writer Died 9 March 1930 | Nationality British, Irish | |
Pen name M. E. Francis, Mary E. Francis Books North, South and Over the Sea, Dorset Dear; Idylls of Country Life | ||
M. E. Francis was the pen name of Mary Elizabeth Blundell (née Sweetman 1859 – 9 March 1930) who was a prolific Irish novelist. She was described as the best known woman novelist of the day.
Biography
Blundell was born in Killiney Park, County Dublin to Margaret and Michael James Sweetman. The family moved to Brussels in 1873 and she spent her summers in Switzerland. Her family was quite artistic. Her uncle was the novelist William Sweetman while her sister was writer Agnes Castle (aka Mrs Egerton Castle). She married her husband, Francis Blundell on 18 November 1879 moved to Little Crosby, where his family had been notable Catholics since the 16th century. They had 3 children.
- Francis Blundell (politician)
- Margaret Elizabeth Clementina Mary Blundell (writer)
- Agnes Mary Frances Blundell (M.B.E.), (writer)
Her husband died after only five years married. Blundell had written her first story when she was eight (‘True Joy’) and had a publication in the Irish Monthly the day of her wedding. She took up writing professionally after her husband's death. In later life she wrote in collaboration with her daughters. She later retired to Dorset.
‘The Ireland of her youth, the Lancashire of her married life, and the Dorset of her retirement provided backgrounds for many of her volumes of fiction.’