About Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos
Lived 1851 – 1939 (aged 87). Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos was a British journalist and writer.
Katharine Elizabeth Alan de Mattos (née Stevenson; 1851–1939) was a Scottish author and journalist. She was the youngest daughter of Margaret Scott Jones, daughter of Humphrey Herbert Jones of Anglesey and the lighthouse engineer, Alan Stevenson. Her brother was the art critic Robert Alan Mowbray Stevenson.
In June 1874 she married, against the wishes of her family, W. S. De Mattos, known as a "Cambridge atheist". His constant infidelities led to their separation. At the age of 30, Katharine moved to London with their two children and, with help from her cousin Robert Louis Stevenson and his friend William Ernest Henley, supported herself by journalism. She was a regular contributor to the Saturday Review and the Magazine of Art. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde opens with a dedication to Katharine de Mattos.
In 1888, Fanny Stevenson published a short story, "The Nixie", which Henley recognized as based on Katharine's idea they had discussed the previous year. He wrote to Robert Louis (Fanny's husband): "Why there wasn’t a double signature is what I’ve not been able to understand". This accusation of plagiarism led to a bitter quarrel and rupture of the Stevensons with Henley and de Mattos.
Later, Katharine wrote under the pseudonym Theodor Hertz-Garten. Some of her poems appeared in Sylvia's Journal and the Windsor Magazine. She penned some 1,300 anonymous book reviews for The Athenaeum. The Yellow Book published her poem In a Gallery: Portrait of a Lady (Unknown). Little is known about her life after 1908.
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Important facts
People in Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos?
British author
When was Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos born?
Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos was born on 10 November 1851 in Edinburgh.
When did Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos die?
Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos died on 3 April 1939 in London.
What was Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos's occupation?
Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos was a journalist and writer.
What nationality was Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos?
Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos was British.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos
· DBpedia: Katharine de Mattos
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos. https://biography.guide/katharine-elizabeth-alan-stevenson-de-mattos/
MLA: "Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/katharine-elizabeth-alan-stevenson-de-mattos/.
Chicago: "Katharine Elizabeth Alan Stevenson de Mattos." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/katharine-elizabeth-alan-stevenson-de-mattos/.
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