Ida A. (Ida Ashworth) Taylor

Born in 1847, Ida Ashworth Taylor was an English writer who published both fiction and historical biography. She was the daughter of the playwright Henry Taylor, and she became known for a steady stream of books as well as contributions to periodicals including The Dublin Review and The Nineteenth Century.

Taylor is especially remembered for her historical works on figures such as Lady Jane Grey, Sir Walter Raleigh, James IV, and Queen Henrietta Maria. Her writing shows a clear fascination with politics, religion, and personality in moments of upheaval, which gives her nonfiction an energy that still appeals to readers who enjoy character-driven history.

She spent much of her adult life in London with her sister Una, and the two were noted for hosting a literary salon. Project Gutenberg lists many of her works today, a sign of how widely she wrote and how much of her work has remained available to new generations of readers.