Mary Cholmondeley

Red Pottage Mary Cholmondeley

Mary Cholmondeley (1859-1925) was an English writer. Members of her family were involved in the literary world, notably her uncle Reginald Cholmondeley who was a friend of the American novelist, Mark Twain. Growing up, Mary Cholmondeley liked to tell stories to her siblings and turned to writing fiction as an escape from the monotony of her daily routine. Her diary showed that by the age of 18 she was already convinced she would never marry, lacking, she believed, the looks and the charms necessary to attract a suitable mate. Her first book was published under the title "Her Evil Genius," and shortly thereafter, in 1886, her second work, "The Danvers Jewels," earned her a small but respectable following. In 1896 her family moved to the village of Condover temporarily before settling permanently in London, where she wrote the 1899 satirical novel, "Red Pottage," for which she is best remembered.