Anna Sewell Anniversary

Monday 30^th March sees the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Anna Sewell, fondly remembered as the author of the children’s classic novel “Black Beauty.”

Born by the seaside at Great Yarmouth, she only ever had one published book to her name, but it has become one of the top ten best selling children’s novels ever written even though it was originally intended for an adult audience.

From a devout Quaker family, Anna and her brother were on the whole educated by their mother, but they were forced to spend time away from home living with grandparents as the family’s financial status was precarious (their father was a shopkeeper).

After an accident at the age of 12 where Anna broke both of her ankles and the subsequent treatment she received was shoddy, she spent a lifetime being unable to stand for long periods and was in constant pain.

At the age of 16, Anna’s family moved to Brighton on the south coast hoping the warmer climate would have a beneficial effect on her ailing health. In the next few years the family moved around the country to Wick in Scotland and to Bath in the westcountry in an effort to ease her poor health.

Anna had a great equine love and she was inspired to write “Black Beauty” (originally entitled The Autobiography of a Horse) after observing inhumane treatment to horses.

Already into her 50’s, she worked on the novel between the years of 1871 and 1877, but was in such poor health at the time she was unable to leave her bed and in the main dictated the story to her mother.

Her masterpiece was published in 1877 when Anna was 57 years old for which she was paid the sum of £40. At the time she was completely bedridden and in extreme pain.

She passed away 5 months after publication, of hepatitis or tuberculosis, however she was able to witness the initial warm reception the book received in England before she died. She was buried at the Quaker burial-ground near to Buxton in Norfolk.

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