Better known now as the mother of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, playwright and novelist Frances Sheridan (1724-66) won acclaim in her day from contemporaries such as Samuel Johnson and David Garrick. This 1824 work, written by her granddaughter, rightly puts Frances Sheridan's own talents back in the spotlight.
Frances Sheridan (1724-66) won acclaim in her day as both a playwright and novelist. Her most famous work, the sentimental novel Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph (1761), found favour with Samuel Johnson, while her comedy The Discovery (1763) was staged by David Garrick at Drury Lane. Her fame was later eclipsed by that of her son, the playwright and politician Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816). Written by Alicia Lefanu (1791-c.1844), her granddaughter, this 1824 publication reaffirms the significance of Frances Sheridan's own work as a writer. Recounting her successes and incorporating her own recollections, the book reveals a woman admired both for her literary output and for her character. This work also includes reflections on the life of her son, whose early writing was influenced by that of his mother. Thomas Moore's two-volume biography of Richard Brinsley Sheridan has also been reissued in this series.
