Beatrice E. (Beatrice Elizabeth) Clay

Beatrice Elizabeth Clay was a British educator and children's author active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Reliable reference sources describe her as a head teacher as well as a writer, and note that she became known for retellings of Arthurian and Old Icelandic literature.

She was educated at Notting Hill High School and studied English at Bedford College, London, where she was a Reid Scholar. Her best-known work is Stories from Le Morte D'Arthur and the Mabinogion, a collection that helped introduce younger readers to King Arthur, Welsh legend, and the world of medieval romance in an accessible style.

Although not much biographical detail is widely documented, her work has lasted because of the way it opens older mythic material to new readers. She remains a familiar name to readers interested in children's classics, folklore, and early retellings of British legend.