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Scott, Caroline Lucy

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The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Victorian Women's Writing

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Abstract

A successful author of sensation fiction, Caroline Lucy Scott, Lady Scott (1784–1857) was born into a Scottish aristocratic family intimate with literary celebrities like Sir Walter Scott. Surrounded by a creative atmosphere, she pursued art and music, but ultimately turned to literature after her marriage as a continual pursuit. Despite her long writing career from 1816 to 1856, Scott wrote only four novels and three short religious books for children, according with descriptions of her careful drafting and revision process. She maintained close personal friendships with other British female writers such as Mary Berry, Lady Louisa Stuart, and Lady Charlotte Bury, which also doubled as working literary collaborations. Common themes in her silver fork novels include class conflict, female agency, financial ruin, and colonial impacts. Involved in philanthropic projects, Scott supported female education and missionary activities. Her later works contain increasing interest in the subjects of Christianity and Anglican doctrines. In 1856, Scott was among the “lady novelists” mocked by George Eliot for writing a high society novel with evangelical elements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Lydia Craig

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  1. Lydia Craig
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Correspondence to Lydia Craig .

Section Editor information

  1. St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

    Emily Morris

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Craig, L. (2021). Scott, Caroline Lucy. In: The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Victorian Women's Writing. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02721-6_407-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02721-6_407-1

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-02721-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-02721-6

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