Anne Manning

Born in London on February 17, 1807, Anne Manning was an English novelist who wrote widely during the Victorian period. Standard reference sources describe her as a prolific author, and contemporary summaries of her career credit her with dozens of works.

She is best remembered for historical fiction, especially Mistress Mary Powell, a novel centered on the young wife of John Milton, and for The Household of Sir Thomas More. Commentators on her work often note its old-fashioned style, while also praising its literary charm and delicate sense of history.

Manning never married, was educated at home, and died at Tunbridge Wells on September 14, 1879. Although she is not as widely read today as some of her contemporaries, her books still stand out for the warm, human way they bring earlier eras into view.