Frances Browne (1816–1887) was an Irish poet and novelist, best remembered for her collection of short stories for children: Granny's Wonderful Chair. 1816 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ...

She was born at Stranorlar, in Donegal, Ireland, on January 16, 1816, the seventh child in a family of twelve children. She was blind from infancy. Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall) is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In her writings, she recounts how she learned by heart the lessons which her brothers and sisters said aloud every evening, and how she bribed them to read to her by doing their chores.

In 1840, her first poem was published, and she published a complete volume of poems in 1844, and a second volume in 1848.

In 1847, she left Donegal for Edinburgh with one of her sisters as her reader and amanuensis. She quickly established herself in literary circles, and wrote essays, reviews, stories, and poems, in spite of health problems. Edinburgh (pronounced ; Scottish Gaelic: ) is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city. ... A secretary is a person who performs routine, administrative, or personal tasks for a superior. ...

In 1852, she moved to London, where she wrote her first novel, My Share of the World (1861). London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Her most famous work, Granny's Wonderful Chair, was published in 1856.

Frances Browne died in 1887.

External links

• Biography of Frances Brown, from the Preface to Granny's Wonderful Chair
• Complete text of Granny's Wonderful Chair
• Bibliography of Frances Browne's works