Brooke, Charlotte (1740–1793)
Brooke, Charlotte (1740–1793)
Irish author and translator of poetry from ancient Irish to English. Born Charlotte Brooke in Rantavan, County Cavan, Ireland, in 1740; died in Kildare, Ireland, in 1793; daughter of Lettice (Digby) Brooke and Henry Brooke (dramatist); educated at home; never married; no children.
Selected works:
Reliques of Irish Poetry … Translated into English Verse (1788); Emma, or the Foundling in the Wood (1803).
Charlotte Brooke was raised in Kildare, Ireland, one of Lettice Brooke and dramatist Henry Brooke's 21 children. Educated by her father, Charlotte learned Gaelic in addition to traditional lessons. As an adult, she lived at home, sowed a small garden, and drew. Her father introduced her in literary circles, especially during the decade following her mother's death in 1772. Charlotte became her father's primary companion. After Henry died in 1783, his peers, noting Charlotte's talent for writing and translation, encouraged her to publish. She translated a collection of poetry from the ancient Irish, which was published in 1788 to good reviews, and contributed anonymously to other anthologies. Charlotte Brooke died ten years after her father, and her only novel, Emma, or the Foundling in the Wood, was released posthumously in 1803.
Crista Martin , Boston, Massachusetts