Adelaide Anne Procter 1825 – 1864
Poet and social reformer.
30 October 1825 – 2 February 1864
Education
Mostly self-taught, learned French, German, Italian, German and studied poetry, noted for her sense of humour.
1850 Studied at Queens College.
Some Key Achievements and Interests
Early contributions published in Dickens’ Household Words and All Year Round (for some time she used the pseudonym Mary Berwick so Dickens published her work for its merit not his family connection.)
1858 Published very popular work Legends and Lyrics.
Reputedly Queen Victoria’s favourite poet.
Member of the Langham Place Circle and the Portfolio Club
1858 With some feminist friends founded The English Woman’s Journal (closed 1864). Contributed journalism and poetry to the Journal.
1859 Appointed by the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science (NAPSS) to be on a committee ‘to consider and report on the subject of Female Employment’ (along with Jessie Boucherett, Bessie Rayner Parkes, Emily Faithfull, Isa Craig and Matilda Hays).
1859 Involved in the founding of Society for Promoting the Employment of Women (SPEW).
Editor of journal Victoria Regia published by the Victoria Press.
Used her poetry to empower women, sold more volumes of her poetry than any other contemporary poet except Tennyson.
Her charitable work inspired much poetry drawing attention homelessness and poverty and urging women not to be shadowed by men.
Issues
Poor health.
Connection to Bloomsbury
Born and lived 25 Bedford Square.
Used the British Museum Reading Room.
Female Networks
Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon, Bessie Rayner Parkes, Isa Craig, Jessie Boucherett, Matilda Hays and others in the Langham Place Group.
Emily Faithfull, Annie Leigh Smith.
Writing/Publications include:
Poetry published in Household Words and All Year Round.
1858 Published 2 vols Legends and Lyrics (1st series 1858 2nd 1861) which had numerous reprints.
1861 Edited Victoria regia, a collection of poetry and prose aimed at showing the work of the Victoria Press.
1861 A Chaplet of Verses published for the benefit of Catholic Night Refuge for Women and Children.
Further Reading
ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER. (minorvictorianwriters.org.uk)
Now – was selected by Jessie Boucherett for Procter’s obituary in The English Woman’s Journal
Now by Adelaide Anne Procter read by Ella Fidler.
Rise! for the day is passing,
And you lie dreaming on;
The others have buckled their armour,
And forth to the fight are gone:
A place in the ranks awaits you,
Each man has some part to play;
The Past and the Future are nothing,
In the face of the stern To-day.
Rise from your dreams of the Future—
Of gaining some hard-fought field;
Of storming some airy fortress,
Or bidding some giant yield;
Your Future has deeds of glory,
Of honour (God grant it may!)
But your arm will never be stronger,
Or the need so great as To-day.
Rise! if the Past detains you,
Her sunshine and storms forget;
No chains so unworthy to hold you
As those of a vain regret:
Sad or bright, she is lifeless ever,
Cast her phantom arms away,
Nor look back, save to learn the lesson
Of a nobler strife To-day.
Rise! for the day is passing:
The sound that you scarcely hear
Is the enemy marching to battle—
Arise! for the foe is here!
Stay not to sharpen your weapons,
Or the hour will strike at last,
When, from dreams of a coming battle,
You may wake to find it past!
From Legends and Lyrics