Evelyn Whitaker

Born in Herne Bay, Kent, in 1844, Evelyn Whitaker was the daughter of solicitor Edward Whitaker and Emily Ann Woolbert. She was educated at the Ladies College in Bedford Square and turned to writing in the late 1870s.

Whitaker became known as an English children's writer whose books were issued anonymously. Reference works describe her fiction as charming, pure, and wholesome, with a strong sensitivity to poverty and illness—qualities that helped her stand out in Victorian children's literature.

Her best-known titles include Miss Toosey's Mission, Laddie, and Tip Cat. She died in 1929, leaving behind a body of work remembered for its gentle storytelling and earnest moral tone.