Mary Spear Tiernan (née, Nicholas; February 14, 1835 - January 13, 1891) was a 19th-century American writer. Her earliest contributions to literature appeared in Bledsoe's "Southern Review." Her first novel, Homoselle, was the most popular and successful of the "Round Robin Series." Tiernan, encouraged with the reception with which her first novel had met, entered upon an active career, writing for "The Century" and "Harper's Magazine" and publishing two additional novels, Sousette and Jack Horner, 1890. The last of these included a second edition.[1]
Mary Spear Tiernan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Mary Spear Nicolas February 14, 1835 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | January 13, 1891 (aged 55) Baltimore |
| Resting place | Green Mount Cemetery |
| Occupation | writer |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Notable works | Homoselle; Sousette; Jack Horner |
| Spouse |
Charles B. Tiernan (m. 1873) |
Biography
editMary Spear Nicholas was born in Baltimore, Maryland, February 14, 1835.[2][a] She was the daughter of Elizabeth Byrd Ambler and Robert Carter Nichols.[2] Her great-grandfather was Robert Carter Nicholas Sr., the last treasurer of the Colony of Virginia.[4]: 100–101
Much of Tiernan's early life was spent in Richmond, Virginia, which is depicted in her novels, Homoselle, Suzette, and Jack Horner.[5][6] She was a contributor to The Century and Scribner's Magazines, and to Southern Review. Her literary work was often the most interesting part of the programs of the Eight O'Clock Club, and the Woman's Literary Club, of which she was one of the founders.[7]
On July 23, 1873, she married Charles B. Tiernan, of Baltimore. She died of pneumonia on January 13, 1891, in Baltimore,[3] and was buried in Green Mount Cemetery.[2]
Selected works
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- Homoselle: a Virginia Novel (1881)
- Suzette: A Novel (1885)
- Jack Horner: A Novel (1890)
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Shepherd 1911, p. 117-18.
- ^ a b c Bellet 1907, p. 131.
- ^ a b "Tiernan, Mary Spear (1836–1891)". Encyclopedia Virginia, a publication of Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ Watson, Richie D. (1985). "Mary Spear Tiernan's Unique Contribution to Post-Bellum Virginia Fiction". The Southern Literary Journal. 17 (2): 100–107. ISSN 0038-4291.
- ^ Bellet 1907, p. 132.
- ^ Tiernan 1890, p. 1.
- ^ Bellet 1907, p. 133.
Attribution
edit
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Bellet, Louise Pecquet du (1907). "MRS. MARY S. TIERNAN". Some Prominent Virginia Families (Public domain ed.). Genealogical Publishing Com. ISBN 978-0-8063-0722-0.- This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Shepherd, Henry Elliot (1911). "MRS. MARY SPEAR NICOLAS TIERNAN". The Representative Authors of Maryland: From the Earliest Time to the Present Day, with Biographical Notes and Comments Upon Their Work (Public domain ed.). Whitehall Publishing Company. p. 117.
- This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Tiernan, Mary Spear (1890). Jack Horner: A Novel (Public domain ed.). Houghton, Mifflin.
