Francese Litchfield Turnbull

Francese Hubbard Litchfield Turnbull (May 23, 1844 – February 28, 1927) was an American novelist. A longtime president of the Woman's Literary Club of Baltimore, she was a patron and admirer of the poet Sidney Lanier.

Francese Litchfield Turnbull
BornFrances Hubbard Litchfield[1]
May 23, 1844 Edit this on Wikidata
DiedFebruary 28, 1927 Edit this on Wikidata (aged 82)
ChildrenGrace Turnbull, Edwin Litchfield Turnbull, Eleanor L. Turnbull Edit this on Wikidata
Parent(s)
  • Edwin Clark Litchfield Edit this on Wikidata
  • Grace Hill Litchfield Edit this on Wikidata
FamilyGrace Denio Litchfield Edit this on Wikidata

Early life

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Francese Hubbard Litchfield was born in Utica, New York, the daughter of Edwin Clark Litchfield and Grace Hill Hubbard.[2] Edwin Litchfield was a New York railroad and real estate developer who owned large parts of what is today the Park Slope neighborhood of New York City and built a mansion in what is now Prospect Park named for his wife, Grace Hill. Her sister was the novelist and poet Grace Denio Litchfield.

On January 24, 1871, she married lawyer and publisher Lawrence Turnbull.[2] The Turnbulls lived in Baltimore, Maryland and owned an estate near Towson, Maryland called La Paix that F. Scott Fitzgerald later rented in 1932.[3] Turnbull published several historical novels under the name Mrs. Lawrence Turnbull.

 
Francese Litchfield Turnbull with her family (her husband Lawrence is opposite her ) at La Paix

The Turnbulls' long association and support of Sidney Lanier dates to around 1870, due to Lawrence Turnbull's admiration for the poem "Nirvana". They were likely the impetus for Lanier's move to Baltimore. Aubrey Starke writes of Francese Turnbull:

In Baltimore [...] the Laniers were now often with Mr. Turnbull and his poetic, music-loving wife, whose romantic idealization of Lanier has stamped itself unmistakably on Lanier's character as it appears through the aura of the Lanier legend, but who must be remembered as a real benefactor of Lanier's Baltimore days.[4]

Their support for Lanier continued after his 1881 death, as they assisted his widow and four children and even buried Lanier in the Turnbull plot in Green Mount Cemetery.

Francese Turnbull's essay "A Study of Sidney Lanier" was published in Douglas Sladen's Younger American Poets, 1830-1890 (1891)[5] and she wrote a novel, The Catholic Man (1890), whose protagonist Paul is a fictionalized version of Lanier.[6]

In 1890, Turnbull was the founding president of the Woman's Literary Club of Baltimore and was re-elected president seven times.[7]

Francese Litchfield Turnbull died on February 28, 1927.[2]

Family

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Francese and Lawrence Turnbull had five children:[6][8]

Bibliography

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  • The Catholic Man: A Study, 1890
  • Val-Maria: a Romance of the Time of Napoleon, 1893
  • The Golden Book of Venice: A Historical Romance of the Sixteenth Century, 1900
  • The Royal Pawn of Venice: A Romance of Cyprus, 1911

References

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  1. ^ Joseph Alexiou. Cowanus. Brooklyn's curious canal. New York Univ. Press, New York & London, ISBN 978-1-4798-0605-8 p. 129, 211.
  2. ^ a b c "TURNBULL, Francese Hubbard Litchfield." Marquis Who Was Who in America 1607-1984. Credo Reference. Accessed 31 May 2021.
  3. ^ Kelly, Jacques (28 October 1991). "House's poetic history is known to few". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  4. ^ Starke, Aubrey Harrison (1964). Sidney Lanier : a biographical and critical study. Internet Archive. New York : Russell & Russell.
  5. ^ Sladen, Douglas Brooke Wheelton; Roberts, Goodridge Bliss (1891). Younger American poets, 1830-1890;. Cornell University Library. London, Sydney, Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh.
  6. ^ a b "Francese Hubbard Litchfield Turnbull papers". Johns Hopkins Libraries.
  7. ^ "Turnbull, Francese Litchfield--Mrs. Lawrence · The Woman's Literary Club of Baltimore". loyolanotredamelib.org. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  8. ^ "Turnbull Poetry Lectures". The Writing Seminars. Johns Hopkins University. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  9. ^ "Edwin Litchfield Turnbull papers". Johns Hopkins Libraries.
  10. ^ "Eleanor Turnbull papers: 1887-1960". Johns Hopkins Libraries.
  11. ^ Stedman E. C., The nature and elements of poetry. Boston and New York, 1893
  12. ^ Turnbull Poetry Lectures