Le Prince de Beaumont, Marie (1711–1780)
Le Prince de Beaumont, Marie (1711–1780)
French children's writer. Name variations: Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. Born 1711 in Rouen, France; died 1789; educated at Convent of Ernemont; m. Thomas Pichon; children: 6.
Worked as governess and teacher in France before leaving for England after annulment of marriage (1745); wrote about 70 volumes of educational and moral tales for children, as well as lessons and handbooks for teaching children; in London, founded magazine Le Nouveau Magasin français for women; published works in magazines and in 2 collections of Contes Moraux (1744, 1776); rewrote Gabrielle de Villeneuve's The Beauty and the Beast and published it in Magasin des enfants (later trans. as The Young Misses Magazine, Containing Dialogues between a Governess and Several Young Ladies of Quality, Her Scholars, 1757); stories and educational plans were used by many teachers and her ideas anticipated the work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.