Hesba Stretton

Born Sarah Smith in Wellington, Shropshire, on July 27, 1832, she later wrote under the pen name Hesba Stretton. She became known for religious and socially minded fiction, especially for children, and her work reached a very wide readership in Victorian Britain.

Her best-known stories focused on poverty, faith, and everyday hardship, often centering on children in difficult circumstances. That combination of storytelling and moral seriousness made her one of the most widely read authors of her kind in the 19th century.

She died on October 8, 1911. Today she is remembered as a notable Victorian author whose books brought questions of charity, class, and belief to a large popular audience.