author

Mrs. H. B. Paull

1812–1888

Best known for bringing Grimm and Andersen to English-language readers, this Victorian writer and translator also produced a steady stream of fiction and religious books for children. Her career grew out of family necessity, and her work helped shape what many young readers encountered in print.

1 Audiobook

Englefield Grange; or, Mary Armstrong's Troubles

Englefield Grange; or, Mary Armstrong's Troubles

by Mrs. H. B. Paull

About the author

Born in London in 1812 as Susanna Mary Peakome, she later published under the name Mrs. H. B. Paull after marrying Henry Hugh Beams Paull in 1839. Reliable reference sources identify her as a British author and translator, and note that she is especially remembered for English translations of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, as well as Swiss Family Robinson.

Victorian-era records also describe her as a writer of children's and religious fiction. When her husband could no longer work effectively after losing his voice, she turned to writing to support the household, and over time produced many books for publishers such as the Religious Tract Society and the Sunday School Union.

She died in 1888. While she is not as widely known today as some of the stories she translated, her versions helped carry classic European tales into English-speaking homes and nurseries.