Selina Bunbury, Religion, and the Woman Writer

Abstract

This chapter describes the literary career of Selina Bunbury (1802–82). All of her works, whether religious tracts, travel narratives, novels, biographies, or historical works had a strong proselytizing and moral component, and projected an image of the author as pious and morally upright. Attacks on Catholicism and descriptions of the blessings of conversion were common themes in early nineteenth-century religious fiction, and in line with this, Selina often contrasted Protestant and Catholic faith in her writing. Her projections of consistently high moral standards served her well throughout her career, firstly by securing her a place on the market of religious literature; secondly by making her eligible for a number of grants from the Royal Literary Fund that made it possible for her to continue to support herself when her health failed.

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