At the Circulating Library

Author: Mary Charlotte Julia Leith

Author: Mary Charlotte Julia Leith (1840–1926)

Alternate Name(s): Gordon (maiden name); Mrs. Disney Leith (familiar name)

Biography: Mary Charlotte Julie Leith was born on 9 July 1840 in London, the daughter of baronet Sir Henry Percy Gordon and his wife Mary Agnes Blanche (née Ashburnham). Her cousin was the poet Algernon Charles Swinburne about who she would later write a memoir. As a teenager, she began writing fiction beginning with Mark Dennis (1859), most of which was published anonymously or under her initials. In 1865, she married army officer Robert William Disney Leith and the couple would have six children. One son would become the 5th Baron Burgh. She continued to write after her marriage and well into the next century, later adopting "Mrs. Disney Leith" as her penname. In addition to fiction, Leith wrote a collection of poetry and a travel book about Iceland. She died on 19 February 1926 in Ventnor.

References: Burke; Kemp; Probate

Fiction Titles:

1. Mark Dennis: or, The Engine Driver. A Tale.  1 vol.  London: Joseph Masters, 1859.
2. The Children of the Chapel: A Tale.  1 vol.  London: Joseph Masters, 1864.
3. The Chorister Brothers: A Tale.  1 vol.  London: Joseph Masters, 1867.
4. The Incumbent of Axhill: A Sequel to "The Chorister Brothers".  1 vol.  London: Joseph Masters, 1875.
5. Auld Fernies' Son.  1 vol.  London: Joseph Masters, 1881.
6. Ruthieston: Sone Notes by a Brother and Sister.  1 vol.  London: Walter Smith, 1882.
7. Like His Own Daughter: A Story.  1 vol.  London: Walter Smith, 1883.
8. From Over the Water: A Story of Two Promises.  1 vol.  London: Walter Smith, 1884.
9. Nora's Friends: or, A Little Girl's Influence. A Story for the Young.  1 vol.  London: Joseph Masters, 1889.
10. Under Cliff: A Sequel to "Nora's Friends".  1 vol.  London: Joseph Masters, 1890.
11. Trusty in Fight: or, The Vicar's Boys. A Story.  1 vol.  London: Joseph Masters, 1893.