Literature, particularly Irish literature, at the turn of the century, took on a new voice. Authors began to make political statements regarding the class system and society. Edith none Somerville and Martin Ross (a pseudonym), were leaders of this literary movement in Ireland, and leaders for women in society.
Edith none Somerville was born on the island of Corfu, off the Greek coast, on May 2, 1858. She was a child of the Somerville family of Castletownshend, "a lovely southwest Cork seacoast village dominated by four or five Anglo-Irish Big House families and their extensive social life,"(Charlotte, xiii.). One of her siblings, her brother, Admiral Boyle Townshend Somerville, was an accomplished sailor, as well as an author of many books himself.
Edith's cousin, Violet Florence Martin, was born on June 11, 1862, at Ross House in County Galway. In 1889, Violet adopts the pseudonym of Martin Ross, which "was not used exclusively for authorship" (Charlotte, xiii.). Edith and Martin (Violet will be referred to as Martin from this point), originally met on January 17, 1886 at Castletownshend, fourteen years after Martin and her mother moved to Dublin from Galway. The move came after Martin's "father died and her brother, on succeeding to the estate, closed their Big House and moved to London, leaving his mother and younger siblings," to fend for themselves in tough times (Charlotte, xii). This change in fortune, however, affected both Edith and Martin.
When the two young women met, they began a lifelong journey of culture, society and, of course literature. They fit together perfectly in their first work, The Buddh Dictionary, a dictionary of terms created throughout the years by their family. As Edith Somerville describes it:
"Our respective stars then collided, struck sympathetic sparks. We...discovered in one another a comfortable agreement of outlook in matters artistic and literary...." The pleasure they experienced writing together and their need to earn money...soon prompted them to embark on a more ambitious effort. (Charlotte, xiii)Following a few short efforts, Somerville and Ross publish An Irish Cousin, their first novel, in 1889. The novel began as an effort "begun in idleness and without conviction," (Charlotte, xiii.) but turned into the passionate beginning of a literary career for the young duo. In 1894, The Real Charlotte is published. This novel is an important block in setting the character of their writings, and requires further discussion.
Following The Real Charlotte, Somerville and Ross begin their Irish R.M. (Resident Magistrate) series: Some Experiences of an Irish R.M.(1899), Further Experiences of an Irish R.M.(1908), and finally In Mr. Knox's Country (1915). These satirical tales are set in 1895, and tell the story of an Englishmen moved to West Ireland to take up the post as R.M. They tell of his struggles with a new job, new culture, and new neighbors. This comic set of stories was made into a PBS television series for Masterpiece Theatre. (The Irish R.M., back cover).
During the writing of these tales, Edith none Somerville becomes "the first woman Master of Foxhounds in the world in her new position as the M.F.H. of the West Carberry Fox Hounds" (Charlotte, ix). This is a fine example of her leading the way for cultural advances of woman, particularly in the tradition-set world of the aristocracy. Her accomplishments continue in 1913 when she is elected president of the Munster Woman's Franchise League. Her inseparable cousin, Martin, is elected vice-president.
Numerous works were published by the two before Martin Ross's death on December 21, 1915 at the age of 53. She died in County Cork, and was buried near the family's estate in Castletownshend. Following Martin's death, Edith continued to write, believing,"Martin, through the good offices of 'automatic writing' continued to work with her." (Charlotte, xiv). The change in style was noticeable, however, and the solo writings of Edith none Somerville were less poetic and inspirational then those of the energetic pair. The Somerville novels are characterized by "looser plots, less character development, and sentimental passages about love or nature" (Charlotte, xv).
Edith continued to work past her ninetieth birthday, when she was honored by a talk on the B.B.C. about her works and those of Martin Ross. On October 8, 1949, Edith none Somerville died in Castletownshend at the age of 91, ending a long eventful life of inspiration, creation, and adventure.
Much of Somerville and Ross's work discussed the "Ascendancy" class, particularly the rights, traditions, and customs associated with this aristocratic, caste-bound, traditional society. The nuances of daily life are often discussed in great detail, with seemingly trivial events laid out in exquisite detail. This allows the reader to better understand this society, which could very well be foreign to them, and it also allows for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the characters.
As discussed earlier, The Real Charlotte is considered Somerville and Ross's most important work, and as described by Wayne Hall, a recent critic, "'perhaps the greatest Irish novel of the nineteenth century'"(Charlotte, xvi). The Real Charlotte is a vivid account of Ireland's aristocratic social life. It tells of the importance of marriage for social status, and the antics and schemes devised by various women to achieve this patriarchal, materialistic society's goal of an adequate spouse. The tale turns to revenge when the main character, Charlotte Mullen, is spited by the man she desires because of her double curse; no money, and excessive homeliness. She is reminded daily of her shortcomings:
There is...humiliation in the thought that such a thing as a soul can be stunted by the trivialities of personal appearance, and ...each time Charlotte stood before her glass her ugliness spoke to her of failure, and goaded her to revenge. (Charlotte, 236).
The further discussions of society's effects on the human soul reflect well when compared to other Irish novels of the era. In the introduction to The Real Charlotte, many comparisons are made to Maria Edgeworth's Castle Rackrent, a tale of an Anglo-Irish family, through four generations. The comparisons include the "sustained and often comic irony,"(Charlotte, xv) and the plot of "a social and economic inferior schemes to usurp his superior's place" (Charlotte, xvi). The critics comparison to Castle Rackrent is interesting in displaying The Real Charlotte's important contributions to Irish literature: "'if Irish literature in English begins anywhere, it begins with Maria Edgeworth's Castle Rackrent'" (Charlotte, xvi). The Real Charlotte can thus be considered one of the important foundations for Irish literature, and the recognition of Irish writing as a genre of its own, with distinct characteristics.
While Martin Ross created the colorful language illustrations in the novels, Edith Somerville was responsible for the impressive artwork included in the books. Most of the duo's works contained many of Somerville's illustrations, displaying yet another talent of these young women. Many of Somerville's drawings echoed the style of the writing: scenes of Anglo-Irish aristocracy, usually in an environment extremely familiar to Somerville - fox hunting. One of Somerville's works, Slipper's ABC of Fox-hunting, a comical look at the sport she loved so much, contains twenty well-detailed drawings of hunting scenes accompanied by alphabetical and lyrical phrases about the sport.
Somerville and Ross, in addition to their novels critical of society, also wrote non-fiction books. As stated earlier, their first work was a family dictionary. This tie to family continued. In 1932 (after Martin's death), An Incorruptible Irishman was published. This book is an account of the life of Chief Justice Charles Kendal Bushe, a courageous man that Somerville and Ross's "aristocratic mothers were descended from." (Charlotte, xii). Somerville used letters as the primary resource for this book, allowing the reader into her ancestry. Furthermore, when Edith Somerville's aforementioned brother was murdered before the completion of his work, Will Mariner , it was Edith whom compiled and edited the work, as well as wrote an introduction for it.
The contributions of Edith none Somerville and Martin Ross cover the complete range of literary, artistic and cultural. The satirical works of Somerville and Ross paved the way for other Irish writers such as James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, and even contemporary authors like Roddy Doyle. All of these writers focused on the unique cultural and societal characteristics of Ireland, and thereby created a new category of Literature. Even the language used is unique to the genre since many of these Irish writers use slang or Irish spellings. This uniqueness requires that Irish literature not be seen as a small part of English Literature, but as an entity by itself. The colorful novels of Somerville and Ross showed a creative style and a different view of the previously ignored Irish lifestyle. They brought attention to their culture, their language, and their lifestyle. Although seemingly minor, the contributions of Edith none Somerville and Martin Ross aided greatly in allowing Ireland and the Irish people an identity of their own.
Somerville, Edith none, and Marin Ross. The Irish R.M. Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1984.
---. The Real Charlotte. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1986.
---. All On the Irish Shore. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1903.
---. An Incorruptible Irishman. Suffolk: Richard Clay & Sons, LTD, 1932.
---. Some Irish Yesterdays. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906.
Somerville, Admiral Boyle Townshend. Will Mariner. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1936.
Williams, Orlo. Some Great English Novels. London: MacMillan and Co, LTD., 1926