M. H. Sturgis | |
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Born | Maria Trinidad Howard Sturgis July 26, 1846 Manila, Philippines |
Died | February 11, 1890 Malvern, England | (aged 43)
Pen name |
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Occupation | Writer |
Spouse | Samuel George Chetwynd Middlemore (m. 1881-1890; his death) |
Relatives | Henry Parkman Sturgis (cousin) |
Maria Trinidad Howard Sturgis Middlemore (also wrote as Mrs. S. C. G. Middlemore and M. H. Sturgis; July 26, 1846, Manila – February 11, 1890, Malvern, England) was an American author, based in England. She was notable for her collection and translation of Spanish-language folktales into English.
Her first work Round a Posada Fire: Spanish Legends appeared in 1881. [1] In the preface, she declares that her intention is to introduce her readers to an overlooked element of Spanish culture: that of peasant folktales. [1] "There is hardly a more superstitious creature on the face of the globe than the Spaniard. He delights in everything ghostly and supernatural ..." she wrote. [1] She noted that most of the stories have already been published in American journals, but added the new Lovers of Teruel, about a pair of star-crossed lovers who die from thwarted love. [1]
In 1885, her Spanish Legendary Tales was published. It contained thirty folktales from northern Spain. [2] She wrote in the preface: “Friends have remarked to me on the weird and tragic air of many of these tales. The answer is simply that such, as a fact, is the general character of the Spanish legend.” [2] [3] [4] The tales speak of ghosts, witches, religious miracles and werewolves. [3] The Serpent Woman and The Were-Wolf were both noted as early examples of speculative fiction in the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. [5]
She was born in Manila, the daughter of United States Consul to the Philippines Henry Parkman Sturgis. [6] [7] The family made its fortune in trade between Canton and Manila through the firm Russell & Sturgis, [6] [8] co-founded by her father in 1828 as an offshoot of Russell & Co.
She was the cousin of British politician Henry Parkman Sturgis, who was named after her father. She was raised as Roman Catholic. [7] She spoke Spanish, French, Italian, German, and English fluently. [7]
She married English translator and journalist Samuel George Chetwynd Middlemore (1848-1890) on April 18, 1881 at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, where their wedding was attended by Henry James. [9] [6] [10]
She died in 1890, only two weeks after her husband's death and was interred at Malvern. [7] [10] Her brother, Frederick Russell Sturgis, was her heir. [10]