Photograph of Frances Browne

Photograph of Frances Browne

Frances Browne (1816-1879) was a writer and poet from Donegal, Ireland. At the age of 18 months, she contracted smallpox and became blind—which is striking given the amount of visual imagery she includes in her writing. Her brothers and sisters read her schoolwork to her, and she would even bribe them to read aloud to her by doing their chores. Throughout her career, she published poems in anthologies and complete volumes, eventually becoming known as “The Blind Poetess of Ulster”. After publishing short stories in several periodicals, she moved to Edinburgh and wrote her her autobiography, My Share of the World, and Granny’s Wonderful Chair five years later.

Collection of Selwyn Glynn

1879 or earlier