Early Life of Mary Lamb
Life in London in the Victorian era was particularly austere for English women. Few were allowed to pursue formal education or careers. The London Lambs were of modest income. Her father, in typical Victorian purveyance, busied himself with earning a living. Mary's mother, a frail, yet domineering woman, left most of the household duties to Mary at a very early age. Mary accepted her position as the family's caregiver, leaving little time for herself. She assuaged her resentment of her mother's abrogation of parental duty by consoling herself that her mother was ill.
Life became brutish for Mary as her world grew smaller and more suffocating, while her mother's demands were all-encompassing. At age 32, Mary finally broke under the strain. As if in a hideous London fog, her own fragile mental state broken, she killed her mother with a kitchen knife. For a short time, she was institutionalized in a home for the mentally unstable. Away from the gut-wrenching agony she suffered, Mary began to write poetry at first. She found solace and comfort in writing. She seemed recovered from her depression appreciably. Though she feared a return to the home of her childhood, her brother Charles arranged for her return.
When their elderly father died, brother and sister remained together: Mary, under Charles watchful eye and Charles inspiring Mary to collaborate with him for his literary works.
Tales from Shakespeare
In 1807, Mary, having a long period of freedom from depression, began to work with her brother on a children's book., "Tales from Shakespeare". The precariousness of Mary Lamb's mental state was always at the forefront of her mind, even to returning to a second institution briefly after her return home. Once again, Charles encouraged his sister to share their home. Neither Mary nor Charles ever married. Mary's early dependence on her brother seemed to abate when, in due course, they became part of London's literary society, maintaining regular meetings at their home with Samuel Coleridge, William Wordsworth and others. Mary enjoyed immensely the "parlor meetings" she and Charles regularly held at their home.
Mary completed "Mrs. Leicester School" which Coleridge encouraged Mary to publish. She began submitting short pieces to newspapers under an alias, as many Victorian women in literature had done. She enjoyed the acclaim she received. But soon, it became clear through her writing, that her alias was becoming the subject of controversy. Mary retreated from writing and publishing her essays and story in newspapers, favoring instead her work with Charles, offering suggestions many felt influenced his writings.
Mary Lamb's Declining Years
Ironically, it was in Mary Lamb's declining years that she and her brother enjoyed a more stable financial life, moving into a larger London apartment. In 1823, Mary met a young girl named Emma Isola. Mary spent her time mentoring the young girl until she and Charles adopted her. Mary treasured Emma's place in her life. Given her scandalous past and her mental instability, adopting Emma seemed to restore her mental balance. She spent her time schooling Emma, who later married Charles Lamb's publisher, Edward Moxon.
After Emma married, the two women spent their time corresponding. Emma encouraged Mary to visit. Mary was wary of leaving the familiarity of her home. But, she did so for Emma's sake, relieved upon her return home. When her beloved brother died, Mary lived with family for a time while her frail physical and mental condition worsened. Once more she was sent to an asylum. Charles and Mary Lamb are buried in London, where they have lived all of their lives. Their contribution to the literary world remains to the present.
