Matilda’s aunt was the artist, poet and novelist Matilda Beetham (1776 – 1852). Matilda later wrote about her aunt in her book “Six Life Studies of Famous Women” (1880). Matilda was educated in Ipswich and as a governess-pupil at a school in London. She studied French and German in France and Germany and went on to write travel books. After the death of their father, Matilda and her sister managed the family’s farm.
Matilda was friends with Charles Dickens and with Charles and Mary Lamb, who were friends of her Mother’s.
Catherine W. Reilly tells us that Matilda published a volume of poetry during the First World War – “War Poems” (Arrowsmith, Bristol, 1917) – 24 pages. According to Reilly, a copy of that collection is held by Manchester Public Libraries. Matilda also wrote an account of the German occupation of Alsace – “Hearts of Alsace” (1916).
“The Two Mothers” by Matilda Betham-Edwards
‘Poor woman, weeping as they pass,
Yon brave recruits, the nation’s pride,
You mourn some gallant boy, alas!
Like mine who lately fought and died?’
‘Kind stranger, not for soldier son,
Of shame, not grief my heart will break
Three stalwards have I, but not one
Doth risk his life for England’s sake!’
Published in the “Westminster Gazette” on 11th December 1914.
“War Poems” was the last poetry collection Matilda had published. It was inspired by the events of the First World War and some of the poems focus on theAlsace region of France. Most of the poems in the collection are patriotic and encourage men to join the fight, as shown by this extract from “No Son of Mine”(1915):
“From over-sea thy brethren hie,
Great England’s sons, not these home-born,
Whilst thou by thousands let’st them die
Thyself, unharmed, the butt of scorn!”.
Matilda died on 4th January 1919 in Hastings, Sussex.
Sources:
Find my Past
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matilda_Betham-Edwards
https://blog.library.si.edu/blog/2017/03/15/choosing-passion-expectations-matilda-betham-fight-womens-rights/#.YOBSHRpKjcs
Hibberd, Dominic and Onions, John, Editors.- “The Winter of the World Poems of the First World War” (Constable & Robinson, London, 2007)
Reilly, Catherine W. “English Poetry of the First World War: A Bibliography” (St. Martin’s Press, new York, 1978)
There is a Biography of Matilda Betham Edwards written by Professor Joan Rees and published in 2006.
Booksellers Jonathan Frost Rare Books Ltd. have a copy of Matilda’s WW1 poetry collection listed in their July 2021 Catalogue https://frostrarebooks.com/catalogues/book-catalogues/july-2021-catalogue/
