author
Jennie Chappell
1857–1938
A prolific late-Victorian writer for young readers, she began publishing as a teenager and went on to produce dozens of stories and biographies shaped by a strong moral and religious tone.
1 Audiobook
The youngest princess : or, Little means to big ends
by Jennie Chappell
About the author
Born Sarah Jane Chappell in Islington on July 3, 1857, she wrote under the name Jennie Chappell. Reference sources on Victorian fiction describe her as the only daughter of merchant Stephen Chappell and Sarah Ann Gulling, and note that she spent most of her life in Islington.
She started contributing stories to children's magazines while still in her teens, and later built a substantial career as an author of fiction, devotional writing, and biography. Her books include children's tales and inspirational works such as Oughts and Crosses, The Youngest Princess, and Women Who Have Worked and Won.
Archival records also show that her diaries survive from the years 1873 to 1885, offering a glimpse of her family, social life, literary work, and voluntary mission activity. She died in 1938, leaving behind a body of writing closely connected with the religious and juvenile literature of her time.