Lucy Cameron

Lucy Lyttelton Cameron (29 April 1781 – 6 September 1858, née Butt) was a British magazine editor and a writer for children with religious themes.

Early life and education Lucy Lyttelton Cameron was born in Stanford-on-Teme, taking her name from her godmother Lady Lucy Fortescue Lyttelton. Her mother was born Martha Sherwood and her father George Butt was the vicar in Stanford at her birth and a minor poet. Her father was well connected and he became George III's Chaplain-in-Ordinary in 1783. Her father took positions at several different churches, although he died in 1795, having returned to Stanford.

In childhood she studied French, Italian and Greek. Between 1792 and 1797 she attended Reading Abbey Girls' School, depicted in the novel Emma by another former pupil, Jane Austen. She and her sister Mary (later Mary Martha Sherwood) had a strict upbringing and if it was not for her supposed delicacy then she would have been required to wear a backboard and an iron ring, like her sister, to improve her posture.

Through her family's connection to Gerrard Andrewes, who by 1802 was vicar of St James's Church, Piccadilly, Lucy was introduced to London cultural figures such as the Bluestocking Elizabeth Carter and Humphry Davy, the inventor. In Bristol she met writers Hannah More and Mary Anne Schimmelpenninck.

The year after leaving school she wrote The History of Margaret Whyte, or, The life and death of a good child, joining her sister, who was already published. where they had twelve children. The Camerons also adopted a niece when her sister followed her husband to India.

Cameron died in 1858 and was buried in Swaby.