Barbara Hofland (1770-1844)

Barbara Hofland was the daughter of a Sheffield manufacturer named Wreaks; she was raised by a maiden aunt before marrying her first husband, T. Bradshawe Hoole, a merchant. Upon the early death of her husband she published a volume of poems which attracted over 2000 subscribers — enabling her to open a boarding-school at Harrowgate. With her second husband, the painter Thomas Hofland, she settled in London and began publishing novels, including a series representing the moral virtues: Integrity, Patience, Self-Denial, Humility, Energy, Fortitude, and Decision.

TEXT RECORDS:

1819White-Knights. A Poem.

PUBLICATIONS:

Poems. 1805.
History of an officer's widow. 1814.
Little dramas for young people. 1810.
A season at Harrogate; in a series of poetical epistles. 1812.
The son of a genius: a tale for the use of youth. 1812.
Says she no to her neighbour, What? 4 vols, 1812.
The history of a clergyman's widow and her young family. 1812.
Patience and perseverance: or the modern Griselda. 4 vols, 1813.
Panorama of Europe: or a new game of geography. 1813.
Iwanowna: or the maid of Moscow. 1813.
The sisters. 1813.
A visit to London: or Emily and her friends. 4 vols, 1814.
The merchant's widow and her family. 1814.
Ellen the teacher. 2 vols, 1815.
A father as he should be. 4 vols, 1815.
Theodore, or the Crusaders: a tale for youth. 1815.
Matilda, or the Barbadoes girl: a tale. 1816.
The affectionate brothers. A tale. 2 vols, 1816.
The good grandmother, and her offspring. 1817.
A descriptive account of the mansion and gardens of White-Knights, a seat of His Grace the Duke of Marlborough. 1819.
The blind farmer and his children. 1819.
Tales of the Priory. 4 vols, 1820.
The young cadet, or, Henry Delamere's voyage to India. 1821.
Tales of the manor. 4 vols, 1822.
Adelaide, or, the intrepid daughter: a tale. 1823.
The daughter of a genius: a tale for youth. 1823.
Integrity: a tale. 1823.
Decision: a tale. 1824.
Patience: a tale. 1824.
The daughter-in-law, her father, and family. 1825.
Alfred Campbell, the young pilgrim. 1825.
Moderation: a tale. 1825.
The young northern traveller: or Alfred Campbell's return. 1826.
Reflection, a tale. 1826.
The young pilgrim, or, Alfred Campbell's return to the East. 1826.
William and Uncle Ben: a tale. 1826.
Self-denial, a tale. 1827.
Africa described. 1828.
Katherine: a tale. 4 vols, 1828.
Beatrice: a tale founded on facts. 3 vols, 1829.
The stolen boy: an Indian tale. 1830?
The captives in India ...; and, A widow and a will. 3 vols, 1834.
Fortitude: a tale. 1835.
Rich boys and poor boys, and other tales. 1836?
Humility: a tale. 1837.
Energy: a tale. 1838.
Farewell tales. 1840.
The Czarina. 3 vols, 1842.
The godmother's tales. 1842.
The King's son: a romance of English history. 3 vols, 1843.
Emily's reward: or the holiday trip to Paris. 1844.
The unloved: a domestic story. 3 vols, 1844.
Daniel Dennison; and, The Cumberland statesman. 3 vols, 1846.

PROFILE AND
ASSOCIATES:

English
Anglican

privately educated

woman writer
schoolmaster

poet
novelist

La Belle Assemblee
Forget-Me-Not
Friendship's Offering
The Amulet
Pledge of Friendship
New Year's Gift
Juvenile Keepsake
Christmas Box

Maria Edgeworth
Mary Russell Mitford
James Montgomery
Henry Neele

REFERENCE:

DNB; NCBEL; CBEL (3rd ed).

"Mrs. Hofland," The Ladies' Monthly Museum (January 1818) 1-3 [portrait]; "Mrs. Holford" La Belle Assemblee NS 28 (October 1823) 145-46 [portrait]; Robert Watt, Bibliotheca Britannica (1824); A New Biographical Dictionary of 3000 Cotemporary Public Characters (1825); obituary in Gentleman's Magazine NS 23 (January 1845) 99-102; John Holland, Poets of Yorkshire (1845); Thomas Ramsay, Life and Literary Remains of Barbara Hofland (1849) [portrait]; Sarah Josepha Hale, Woman's Record (1855); Allibone, Critical Dictionary of English Literature (1858-71; 1882); correspondence in A. G. L'Estrange, in Friendships of Mary Russell Mitford (1882); D. Butts, Mistress of our Tears: a Literary and Bibliographical Study of Barbara Hofland (1992); C. R. Johnson, Provincial Poetry 1789-1839 (1992).

COMMENTARY RECORDS
for Barbara Hofland:

1.	1819 Mary Russell Mitford to Sir William Elford, 27 February 1819; L'Estrange, Life of Mary Russell Mitford (1870) 1:303.
2.	1845 John Holland, "Mrs. Hofland" Poets of Yorkshire; comprising Sketches of the Lives, and Specimens of the Writings of those Children of Song (1845) 144-46.
3.	1855 Sarah Josepha Hale, Woman's Record; or, Sketches of all Distinguished Women (1852; 1855) 355.
4.	1862 Thomas Arnold, in A Manual of English Literature (1862; 1885) 452.
5.	1871 S. C. Hall, "Barbara Hofland" in A Book of Memories: Great Men and Women of the Age, from personal Acquaintance (1871) 122-24.
6.	1882 A. G. L'Estrange, in Friendships of Mary Russell Mitford (1882) 83.

BIOGRAPHY RECORDS
for Barbara Hofland:

1.	1818 Anonymous, "Mrs. Hofland," in Ladies' Monthly Museum (January 1818) 1-3.
2.	1823 Anonymous, "Mrs. Holford" La Belle Assemblee NS 28 (October 1823) 145-46.
3.	1845 Alford Roberts, Obituary in Gentleman's Magazine NS 23 (January 1845) 99-102.

AUTHOR AS CRITIC:
(commentary records)

1.	1830 ca. Mary Howitt: Barbara Hofland to Thomas Ramsay, 1830 ca.; Ramsay, Life and Literary Remains of Barbara Hofland (1849) 121.
2.	1835 ca. Ebenezer Elliott: Barbara Hofland, 1835 ca.; Thomas Ramsay, Life and Literary Remains of Barbara Hofland (1849) 131-32.

AUTHOR AS CRITIC:
(biography records)

1.	1828 Henry Neele: Barbara Hofland, "Biographical Sketch of Mr. Henry Neele" 1828; in Hofland, Life and Literary Remains (1849) 77-83.