List of early-modern British women novelists

This is an alphabetical list of female novelists who were active in England and Wales, and the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland before approximately 1800.



A
• Penelope Aubin (c. 1658–1731)

• Jane Austen (1775–1817)

B
• Jane Barker (1652–1732)

• Mrs Barnby

• Mrs. E. G. Bayfield

• Catharine Bayley

• Amelia Beauclerc (fl. 1810s)

• Aphra Behn (1640–1689)

• Elizabeth Benger (1775–1827)

• Helena Berkenhout

• Anna Maria Bennett (c. 1750 – 1808)

• Elizabeth Blower (c. 1757/1763 – after 1816)

• Elizabeth Bonhôte (née Mapes; 1744–1818)

• Jeanne T. Bottens

• Sophia Bouverie (fl. 1808)

• Elizabeth Boyd (c. 1710 – 1745)

• Sophia Briscoe (fl. 1770s)

• Eliza Bromley (née Nugent; fl. 1784–1803)

• Charlotte Brooke (c. 1740–1793)

• Frances Brooke (1723–1789)

• Indiana Brooks (fl. 1789)

• Mary Brunton (1778–1818)

• Anne Bryton (fl. 1780)

• Mrs Bullock (fl. 1795–1801)

• Anne Burke (fl. 1780–1805)

• Caroline Burney (pseud; )

• Frances Burney (1752–1840)

• Sarah Burney (1772–1844)

• Charlotte Susan Maria Bury (née Campbell; 1775–1861)

• Harriet Butler

• Sarah Butler (c. 1689 – c. 1716)

• Medora Gordon Byron (1790–1858)

C
• Lady Mary C. (fl. 1797)

• Mary Ann Canning (fl. 1778)

• Mrs H. Cartwright (fl. 1776–1787)

• Mrs Carver (fl. 1797–1800)

• Mary Ann Cavendish-Bradshaw (c. 1758–1849)

• Margaret Cavendish (1623–1673)

• Mary Champion de Crespigny (née Clarke; c. 1749 – 1812)

• Charlotte Charke (née Cibber; 1713–1760)

• Mary Charlton (fl. 1794–1824)

• Harriet Chilcot (later Meziere; 1754–1784)

• Emily Frederick Clark (fl. 1798–1833)

• Elizabeth Cobbold (née Knipe; 1767–1824)

• Jane Collier (1714–1755)

• Mary Collyer (née Mitchell; c. 1716 – 1763)

• Mrs Colpoys (fl. 1801)

• Maria Susanna Cooper (1737–1807)

• Cordelia Cordova

• Helen Craik (c. 1751 – 1825)

• Mrs Croffts (fl. 1798–1801)

• Margaret Cullen (1767—1837)

• Catherine Cuthbertson (c. 1775 – 1842)

D
• Charlotte Dacre (née King, later Byrne; pseud. Rosa Matilda; 1782?–1825)

• Anne Seymour Damer (née Conway; 1748–1828)

• Selina Davenport (1779–1859)

• Mary Davys (1674–1732)

• Anne Dawe (fl. 1770)

• Thomasine Dennis

• Ann Doherty (c. 1786–c. 1832)

• Sarah Draper (fl. 1796)

• Camilla Dufour

E
• Anne Eden (fl. 1790)

• Maria Edgeworth (1768–1849)

• Jane Elson (fl. 1800–1802)

F
• Eliza Fenwick (née Jaco; 1767–1840)

• Susan Edmonstone Ferrier (1782–1854)

• Sarah Fielding (1710–1768)

• Matilda Fitz John

• E. M. Foster (fl. 1795–1810)

• Sophia Frances (fl. 1806–1809)

• Anne Fuller (died 1790)

G
• Phebe Gibbes (died 1805)

• Mary Goldsmith

• Ann Gomersall (1750—1835)

• Elizabeth Sarah Gooch (1757–1807)

• Sarah Green (fl. 1790–1825)

• Elizabeth Griffith (1727–1793)

• Susannah Gunning (née Minifie; 1740–1800)

H
• Ann Mary Hamilton

• Elizabeth Hamilton (1756 or 1758 – 1816)

• Mary Hamilton (née Leslie; 1736–1821)

• Mary Ann Hanway (fl. 1776–1814)

• Martha Harley (later Hugill; fl. 1786–1797)

• Jane Harvey (1771–1848)

• Ann Julia Hatton (née Kemble; 1764–1838)

• Laetitia Matilda Hawkins (1759–1835)

• Mary Hays (1759–1843)

• Eliza Haywood (1693–1756)

• Mary Hearne (? fl. 1718)

• Elizabeth Helme (née Horrobin; 1743–1814)

• Elizabeth Hervey (née Marsh; 1748 – c. 1820)

• Mary Hill

• Augusta Ann Hirst

• Barbara Hofland (née Wreaks; 1770–1844)

• Fanny Holcroft (1780–1844))

• Margaret Holford (1757–1834)

• Margaret Holford (1778–1852)

• Esther Holsten

• Sarah Ann Hook

• Ann Howell (fl. 1787–1797)

• Anne Rice Hughes (fl. 1786–1795)

• Maria Hunter (fl. 1772–1778)

• Rachel Hunter (c. 1754 – 1813)

• Margaret Hurry

I
• Elizabeth Inchbald (1753–1821)

• Mrs Issacs (fl. 1801–1820)

J
• Frances Jacson (1754–1842)

• Mrs. Johnson (fl. 1786–1792)

• Harriet Jones (fl. 1799–1818)

K
• Susanna Keir (née Harvey; 1747–1802)

• Isabella Kelly (née Fordyce; 1759–1857)

• Ann Kendall

• Anne Ker (née Phillips; 1766–1821)

• Dorothy Kilner (1755–1836)

• Mary Ann Kilner (née Maze; 1753–1831)

• Sophia King (c. 1781 – c. 1805)

• Cornelia Knight (1757–1837)

L
• Eliza Lake

• Sarah Lansdell (fl. 1796–1798)

• Mary Latter (1725–1777)

• Harriet Lee (1757–1851)

• Sophia Lee (1750–1824)

• Elizabeth Le Fanu (1758–1837)

• Charlotte Lennox (née Ramsay; 1720–1804)

• Elizabeth Anne Le Noir (c. 1755–1841)

• Mrs Leslie (fl. 1801–1806)

• Alethea Lewis (1749–1827)

• Martha-Elizabeth Leycester (fl. 1788)

M
• Charlotte MacCarthy (fl. 1745–1768)

• Anna Maria Mackenzie (fl. 1782–1811)

• Miriam Malden

• Delarivier Manley (1663 or c. 1670 – 1724)

• Jean Marishall (or Jane Marshall; fl. 1765–1788)

• Elizabeth Marsh (1735–1785)

• Mrs Martin

• Mrs. Mathews (fl. 1793)

• Eliza Kirkham Mathews (née Kirkham Strong; 1772–1802)

• Charlotte Matthew

• Anna Meades (born c. 1734)

• Elizabeth Meeke (1761–1826)

• Anna Millikin (1764– after 1849)

• Frances Mary Mills

• Margaret Minifie (1734–1803)

• Marianne Moore

• Hannah More (1745–1833)

• Henrietta Mosse (née Rouvière; died 1835)

• Agnes Musgrave (fl. 1795–1808)

N
• Mary Anne Neri (fl. 1804–1808)

• Elizabeth Norman (fl. 1789)

O
• Susannah Oakes

• Amelia Opie (1769–1853)

• Anne Ormsby

• Sydney Owenson (c. 1781? – 1859)

P
• Charlotte Palmer (c. 1762–1834 or after)

• Alicia Tindal Palmer (1763–1822)

• Mary Elizabeth Parker (fl. 1795–1802)

• Catherine Parry (died 1788)

• Eliza Parsons (née Phelp; 1739–1811)

• Mrs F. C. Patrick (fl. 1797–1799)

• Lucy Peacock (fl. 1785–1816)

• Sarah Pearson (1767–1833)

• Frances Peck (fl. 1804–1805)

• M. Peddle (fl. 1785)

• Janetta Philipps (fl. 1802–1811)

• Mary Pickar

• Mary Pilkington (née Hopkins; 1761–1839)

• Mary Pix (1666–1709)

• Arabella Plantin (born c. 1700)

• Anne Plumptre (1760–1818)

• Elizabeth Plunkett (née Gunning; 1769–1823)

• Anna Maria Porter (1780–1832)

• Jane Porter (1776–1850)

• Elizabeth Purbeck (fl. 1789–1797)

• Jane Purbeck (fl. 1789–1802)

• Jael Pye (née Mendez; c. 1737 – 1782)

R
• Ann Radcliffe (née Ward; 1764–1823)

• Mary Ann Radcliffe (1746–1818)

• Eliza Ratcliffe

• Clara Reeve (1729–1807)

• Henrietta Rhodes

• Mrs. Rice : author of The Deserted Wife (1803) and Monteith (1806)

• Catherine Eliza Richardson (née Scott; 1777–1853)

• Margaret Wade Roberts

• Eliza Frances Robertson (1771–1805)

• Mary Robinson (1757–1800)

• Maria Elizabeth Robinson (1775–1818)

• Regina Maria Roche (1764–1845)

• Mrs Ross (fl. 1811–1817)

• Elizabeth Singer Rowe (1674–1737)

• Susanna Rowson (née Haswell; 1762–1824)

• Elizabeth Ryves (1750–1797)

S
• Charlotte Sanders/Saunders (fl. 1787)

• Maria Grace Saffery (1773–1858)

• Honoria Scott

• Sarah Scott (1723–1795)

• Catharine Selden (fl. 1797)

• Mary Shelley (1797–1851)

• Frances Sheridan (1724–1766)

• Sarah Sheriffe (fl. 1800–1803)

• Mary Martha Sherwood (née Butt; 1775–1851)

• Mrs Showes (fl. 1797–1806)

• Caroline Sinclair

• Ann Masterman Skinn (1747–1789)

• Eleanor Sleath (1770–1847)

• Catharina Smith (fl. 1809–1815)

• Charlotte Smith (1749–1806)

• Julia Smith

• Maria Lavinia Smith (fl. 1801)

• Elizabeth Somerville (née Helme; 1774–1840)

• Elizabeth Isabella Spence (1768–1832)

• Sarah Emma Spencer (fl. 1788)

• Helen St Victor

• Louisa Sidney Stanhope (fl. 1806–1827)

• Miss Street (fl. 1790–1793)

• Elizabeth Strutt (1782–1867)

• Augusta Amelia Stuart

T
• Eliza Taylor (fl. 1779—1806)

• Jane Taylor (1783–1824)

• Maria Tharmott

• Ann Thomas (fl. 1784—1795)

• Elizabeth Thomas (née Wolferstan; 1770/71–1855)

• Anna (Harriet?) Thompson

• Jane Timbury (died c. 1792, fl. 1770–1791)

• Elizabeth Sophia Tomlins (1763–1828)

• Anne Trelawney

• Sarah Trimmer (née Kirby; 1741–1810)

• Catharine Trotter Cockburn (1679–1749)

• Mary Tuck

V
• Harriet Ventum

W
• Catherine George Ward (c. 1787)

• Jane Warton (1723–1809)

• Anna Weamys (fl. 1651)

• Helena Wells (later Whitford; 1761?–1824)

• Jane West (née Iliffe; 1758–1852)

• Sarah Scudgell Wilkinson (1779–1831)

• Helen Maria Williams (c. 1761 – 1827)

• Ann Wingrove

• Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797)

• Sophia Woodfall (1780–1852)

• A. Woodfin (1736–1784)

• Augusta Maria Woodthorpe (fl. 1809)

• Elizabeth Wright (fl. 1801)

• Mary Wroth (née Sidney; 1587–1651/3)

Y
• Ann Yearsley (1752–1806)

• Mrs R.P.M. Yorke (fl. 1800–1805)

• Henrietta Maria Young

• Mary Julia Young (fl. 1788–1810)

Resources

 * Backscheider, Paula, and John Richetti, eds. Popular Fiction by Women, 1660–1730: An Anthology. Oxford: OUP, 1996. (Internet Archive)
 * Ballaster, Ros. Seductive Forms: Women's Amatory Fiction from 1684 to 1740. Clarendon Press, 1992.
 * Blain, Virginia, et al., eds. The Feminist Companion to Literature in English. New Haven and London: Yale UP, 1990. (Internet Archive)
 * Buck, Claire, ed.The Bloomsbury Guide to Women's Literature. Prentice Hall, 1992. (Internet Archive)
 * Corman, Brian. Women Novelists Before Jane Austen: The Critics and Their Canons. University of Toronto Press, 2008. https://doi.org/10.3138/9781442689633
 * Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: OUP, 2004.
 * Prescott, Sarah. Women, Authorship and Literary Culture, 1690–1740. Palgrave, 2003.
 * Robertson, Fiona, ed. Women's Writing, 1778–1838. Oxford: OUP, 2001. (Internet Archive)
 * Schellenberg, Betty A. The Professionalization of Women Writers in Eighteenth-Century Britain. Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-521-85060-6.
 * Schlueter, Paul, and June Schlueter. An encyclopedia of British women writers. Rutgers University Press, 1998. (Internet Archive)
 * Spencer, Jane. The Rise of the Woman Novelist: From Aphra Behn to Jane Austen. 1986.
 * Spender, Dale. Mothers of the novel: 100 good women writers before Jane Austen. London/NY:Pandora, 1986. (Internet Archive)
 * Todd, Janet, ed. British Women Writers: a critical reference guide. London: Routledge, 1989. (Internet Archive)
 * Todd, Janet. A Dictionary of British and American women writers, 1660–1800. Totowa, N.J.: Rowman & Allanheld, 1985. (Internet Archive)
 * Williams, K. "Women Writers and the Rise of the Novel." The History of British Women's Writing, 1690–1750. Edited by R. Ballaster. Series: The History of British Women's Writing. Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230298354_7