Biographical Sketch of Elizabeth Thomas with particular relevance to The Prison-House

Elizabeth Thomas (1771-?)

Elizabeth Thomas was born in 1771 in Berry, Devon. She was a novelist and poet who wrote most of her work under the pseudonym "Mrs. Bridget Bluemantle." She called herself a writer of "'the old school, both in politics and religion…perfectly satisfied with the powers that be'" (Blain, et al., 1076). In 1802 Thomas married Rev. Thomas T. and they moved to Tidenham soon after. She published a total of eight novels while living there, primarily for the Minerva Press. She produced titles such as The Three Old Maids of the House of Penruddock (1806) and Claudine, or Humility the Basis of all the Virtues (1822). She also wrote Purity of Heart, or The Ancient Costume (1816), which was published under the pseudonym, "an old wife of twenty years." Additionally, Thomas wrote poetry and published a book of poems, The Confession, in 1818, dedicating it to her children. (Blain, et al., 1076)

The titles of Thomas's other works and her own description of her style suggest that The Prison House: or, The World We Live In expressed views which were a strong part of her writing approach, especially in regards to morality and religion. This may be related to the fact that she married a Reverend and was, therefore, undoubtedly well-versed in the religious messages of the day. Unfortunately, there is very little biographical information available on the life of Elizabeth Thomas and the specifics of her literary career.

-Prepared by Sommer Jindra, University of Nebraska, December 2002