Author: Macauley, Elizabeth Wright
Biography:
MACAULEY, Elizabeth Wright (b c. 1785-1837: ODNB)
Most of what is known of her derives from her Autobiographical Memoirs (1835) which are long in detail but short in facts. Her mother’s maiden name was Roe; the family lived in York; and Macauley’s father died when she was two, leaving the family destitute. She became an actress but was never financially very successful. By the late 1820s, she was preaching at a Grub Street chapel; by 1832, she was deeply involved in Owenism as the manager of the Owenite labour exchange. She lectured on a range of social issues, including women’s rights to full equality, and she supplemented her income by writing not only poetry but also essays and pamphlets. Her memoirs, published by subscription, were written in the Marshalsea prison where she was imprisoned for debt. She died of a stroke at York during a lecture tour. (ODNB 4 Dec 2019; Autobiographical Memoirs [1835])
Other Names:
- Miss Macauley