F. E. Crichton or Frances Elizabeth "Effie" Crichton (1877 – 23 November 1918) was an Irish writer.[1]

F. E. Crichton
Born
Frances Elizabeth Sinclair

1877
Hopefield House, Belfast, Ireland
Died23 November 1918(1918-11-23) (aged 40–41)
England

Life

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F. E. Crichton was born Frances Elizabeth Sinclair in 1877. Her parents were Thomas Sinclair, businessman and politician, and his first wife Mary (née Duffin).[2] She was also known as "Effie".[3] She was the eldest child of four sons and three daughters. Her maternal great-uncle was John Grubb Richardson.[1] She was privately educated at Richmond, and travelled Europe including Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.[4] After her marriage to William Sinclair Crichton on 9 April 1906,[2] she moved to Liverpool where she took up writing.[1]

Her work reflected Ulster speech, as well as the character of life there. She wrote short stories, novels and books for children.[4] Her work, especially her first book, has been likened to that of Maria Edgeworth.[2]

She died on 23 November 1918 in England.[1] She was a second cousin of British writer, May Sinclair.[3]

Works

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  • The precepts of Andy Saul (1908)
  • Peep-In-The World (1908)
  • The Little Wizard of White Cloud Hill (1910)
  • The soundless tide (1911)
  • Tinker's Hollow (1912)
  • The Blind Side of the Heart (1915)[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Hourican, Bridget (2009). "Frances Elizabeth Crichton In Sinclair, Thomas". In McGuire, James; Quinn, James (eds.). Dictionary of Irish Biography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  2. ^ a b c Doak, Naomi (2016). "'The blind side of the heart': Protestants, politics, and patriarchy in the novels of F.E. Crichton". In Pilz, Anna; Standlee, Whitney (eds.). Irish women's writing, 1878-1922 : advancing the cause of liberty. Manchester: Manchester University Press. ISBN 9781526100757.
  3. ^ a b "May Sinclair's Unknown Family". May Sinclair Society. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  4. ^ a b Newman, Kate. "F.E. Crichton (1877 - ): Writer". The Dictionary of Ulster Biography. Ulster History Circle. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  5. ^ "CRICHTON, F. E. SINCLAIR". Irish Women's Writing (1880-1920) Network. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2020.