Ann Murry

Ann Murry (1750after 1818) was an English children's educational writer and poet who discussed geography, grammar, virtue and etiquette, arithmetic, religion, and history.

Life Ann Murry was born in 1750 in London, to Isaac and Elizabeth Murry, and christened at St. Mary-at-Hill. Her father was a wine merchant who focused on supplying her with a solid education, which she cultivated with natural talent and curiosity. She earned her primary living as a private tutor and teacher and became well-known through Mentoria: or, The Young Ladies Instructor (1778). In 1785, she opened a boarding school for young girls in Hampstead with the involvement of two of her sisters and Charles Dilly, a noted London bookseller. Additionally, many of her books were printed for Dilly and the two were well-acquainted. At some point after the opening of her boarding school, Murry moved on to more private tutoring work, working for famous figures such as Sir William Pulteney's daughter, Laura, and the Princess Royal. Murry continued to be active in teaching and writing through the end of the 18th century and into the 19th. Her date of death is unknown, but her last recorded writing was in 1818, an introduction to An Abridgement of the History of France.

Career Over her career, Murry wrote six books, mostly for the education of her pupils. Her first and by far most famous book was Mentoria: or, the Young Ladies Instructor, first published in 1778. This book presents itself as a conversation between a teacher, called Mentoria, and her pupils. Murry covers many subjects in this book, including history, grammar, religion, arithmetic, and proper conduct. Additionally, she had many famous subscribers to her books, including the Duchess of Bedford and David Garrick.

Full list of works Mentoria: or, the Young Ladies Instructor,1778 Poems on Various Subjects, 1779. A Concise History of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, 1783. 2 vols. The Sequel to Mentoria; or, the Young Ladies Instructor, 1799. Mentorian Lectures on Sacred and Moral Subjects, 1809. 8 vols. An Abridgement of the History of France, c. 1815