MORE, HANNAH, an eminent writer of religious and moral works, was born in 1745 at Stapleton in Gloucestershire,
where her father held the humble situation of village school-master. Being afterwards appointed to the parochial school of St Mary Redcliff at Bristol, his daughter gained the intimacy and patronage of Dr Stonehouse, who enabled her to set on foot a flourishing school for boarders and day pupils, which continued to be conducted with great success by her sisters. Her first literary efforts were some poetical pieces, and amongst them was a pastoral drama. Manuscript copies of these effusions were seen and admired by several persons of literary taste and discrimination at Bristol, who strongly recommended their publication. They accordingly appeared; and the drama, which was entitled the Search after Happiness, soon became very popular. This flattering reception induced the author to try her strength in the highest walk of dramatic poetry; and she successively brought upon the stage her tragedies of the Inflexible Captive, Percy, and the Fatal Falsehood. Garrick was warmly attached to her; and it was owing in no small degree to the talents of that distinguished player that the second of these compositions was enacted at Drury Lane during fourteen successive nights. Soon after the production of her first tragedy she published two legendary poems, entitled Sir Eldred of the Bower and the Bleeding Rock, founded upon popular traditions current in Somersetshire. These pieces had very great success, as had also her volume of Essays for Young Ladies, which she afterwards expunged from the edition of her works published in 1801, on the ground that the book was superseded by her Treatise on Female Education.
In 1782 Hannah More greatly added to her reputation by the publication of a volume of Sacred Dramas, to which was annexed a poem called Sensibility, much commended by Dr Johnson. In 1786 this indefatigable writer gave to the world two poems—Florio, a Tale, and Bas Bleu, or the Conversation. The first is a respectable and not ill-natured satire on the frivolous manners of the young gentlemen of the period. The second, also a satire, is directed against the Blue-Stocking Club, which met at Mrs Montagu's in Portman Square, and was so called from one of the members, Mrs Jarningham, always wearing stockings of a blue colour. Other works successively proceeded from her pen. Of these the principal are,—a Poem on the Slave Trade, printed in 1788; a tract entitled Thoughts on the Manners of the Great, which appeared the same year; An Estimate of the Religion of the Fashionable World, published in the year 1791, and esteemed one of her best productions; Remarks on the Speech of M. Dupont in the National Convention on Religion and Education; and further, with the view of opposing the propagation of sedition and infidelity, she, in 1795, commenced at Bath the Cheap Repository, which was published in monthly numbers, and contained several very pleasing tales. This periodical obtained a very wide circulation, and was said to have had considerable effect in calming the public mind, then agitated by the doctrines so prevalent in France.
Hannah More now removed from Bristol to Cheddar, where the ignorance and destitution of the place having deeply affected her, she opened a number of schools for educating the poor children and alleviating their misery. Her benevolent designs were at first strenuously opposed; but she ultimately succeeded in establishing a number of schools, not only at Cheddar, but all round the Mendip Hills; and the good effects which they produced soon became apparent. In 1799 appeared her Structures on the Modern System of Female Education, three editions of which issued from the press during the same year. This work was censured by some of the critics as too austere; but notwithstanding this circumstance, she was called upon by the highest personages in the realm to put her sentiments in writing on the proper course of instruction to
be adopted for the infant heiress to the British throne. She set diligently to work at the command of royalty, and produced in 1805 a work in two volumes, entitled Hints towards forming the Character of a Young Princess. It gave high satisfaction generally; but offence was taken in one quarter, and much abuse was in consequence poured upon it. In the year 1809 was published Caleb's in Search of a Wife; two years afterwards appeared Practical Piety and Christian Morals; in 1815 came out an Essay on the Character and Writings of St Paul—an attempt more ambitious than successful; and in 1819 her literary career terminated with the publication of Modern Sketches. She was now aged and infirm, but still continued to take a great interest in the welfare of charity schools, bible and missionary societies, and other benevolent and religious institutions. Her piety supported her in her later afflictions; and she expired with the composure, and full of the hope and faith, of a Christian, on the 7th of September 1833. She is said to have realized £30,000 by her works, a very considerable proportion of which she bequeathed to religious and benevolent societies.
The works of Hannah More have always been highly esteemed by the religious world, and she is generally considered as one of the most distinguished of that class of writers who unite great piety with considerable literary talent, and dedicate the creations of fancy as well as the deductions of reason to the service of religion. Her poetry is not much prized, except by a select few, for the piety and sound judgment which it displays. Her prose is justly admired for its sententious wisdom, its practical good sense, its masculine vigour, and the dignified religious and moral fervour which pervades it. Caleb's passed through six editions in one year; and since its first appearance it has frequently been reprinted, besides being translated into several foreign languages. A collected edition of her works has been published in 11 vols.; and The Memoirs and Correspondence of Mrs H. More, by W. Roberts, were published in 4 vols. 8vo, 1834. A new and abridged edition of this Life, with selections from her correspondence, 12mo, appeared in London in 1856.