Mrs. Isa, Born Craig Knox|1831|1903| Mrs. ISA, born Craig Knox (born 1831 died 1903), poet, only child of John Craig, hosier and glover, was born in Edinburgh, 17 October 1831. In childhood she lost both parents, and was reared by her grandmother, leaving school in her tenth year. A close study of standard English authors developed literary tastes; and, after contributing verses to the 'Scotsman' with the signature 'Isa', she was regularly employed on the paper in 1853. Coming to London in 1857 she was appointed secretary to the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science, and held the position till she married, in May 1866, her cousin, John Knox, an iron merchant of London. In 1858 she won with a resonant ode a prize of £50 offered at the Crystal Palace for a centenary poem on Burns. There were 621 candidates, among them being Frederic William Henry Myers [q. v. Suppl. I], Gerald Massey [q. v. Suppl. II], and Arthur Joseph Munby [q. v. Suppl. II]. After her marriage she contributed occasionally to 'Fraser', 'Good Words', and the 'Quiver', edited the 'Argosy' for a short time, and published some volumes of poems and juvenile histories. She died at Brockley, Suffolk, on December 1903. In verse Mrs. Knox produced nothing that surpassed the Burns ode. Her first volume, 'Poems by Isa' (1866), showed some promise, and some lyric Quality appeared in 'Poems: an Offering to Lancashire' (1863); 'Duchess Agnes, a Drama and other Poems' (1864); and 'Songs of Consolation' (1874). Dr. A. H. Japp edited a 'Selection from Mrs. Knox's Poems' in 1892. Of Mrs. Knox's prose work 'The Essence of Slavery' (1863) summarised F. A. Kemble's 'Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation', and 'Esther West' (1870; 6th edition 1884) was a well-constructed story. Mrs. Knox's 'Little Folk's History of England' (1872) reached its 30th thousand in 1899, and the author adapted from it a successful 'Easy History for Upper Standards' (1884). 'Tales on the Parables', two series, appeared in 1872-7. [DNB 1][DNB 2][DNB 3][DNB 4][DNB 5][DNB 6][DNB 7] [1]
References edit
- ↑ [[Template:Cite DNB|vb=yes|author=Template:DNB TB|title=Knox, Isa (DNB12)|work=Dictionary of National Biography|volume=2|pages=0|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Knox,_Isa_(DNB12)]]
DNB references edit
These references are found in the DNB article referred to above.
- ↑ Rogers's Modern Scottish Minstrel
- ↑ Grant Wilson's Poets and Poetry of Scotland
- ↑ Edwards's Modern Scottish Poets, 2nd series, Brechin, 1881
- ↑ Burns Centenary Poems, 1859
- ↑ Miles's Poets and Poetry of the Nineteenth Century, volume ix.
- ↑ information from Dr. A. H. Millar, Dundee
- ↑ British Museum Catalogue
External links edit
date=August 2014 date=August 2014 [[Template:Person data |name=Knox, Mrs. Isa, Born Craig |alternative names= |short description=poetical writer |date of birth=1831 |place of birth= |date of death=1903 |place of death= ]] Knox, Mrs. Isa, Born Craig NoCategory:1831 births NoCategory:1903 deaths date=August 2014