Elizabeth Sprigge


Elizabeth Miriam Squire Sprigge was an English novelist, biographer, translator, and children's writer.

Biography

Elizabeth Sprigge was the elder daughter of Sir Samuel Squire Sprigge, editor of The Lancet. On 23 July 1921 she married Mark Napier-Clavering, a business agent employed by Debenhams, who on 27 May 1924 dropped 'Clavering' from his name by deed poll, it having been adopted by his grandfather, Rev. John Warren Napier. He was a descendant of Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier. They were divorced in 1945, having had two daughters: Julyan Napier and Ruth Napier.
From her late twenties until the end of her life, Elizabeth Sprigge published steadily. She might be best remembered for her 1973 biography of her long-time friend Ivy Compton-Burnett. According to Joyce Carol Oates, Hilary Spurling's "exhaustively researched" Life of I. Compton-Burnett ".. seems to follow the general outline set by Elizabeth Sprigge's memoir-biography... while greatly expanding upon it" Likewise, J. Bhagyalakshmi, in 'Ivy Compton-Burnett and her Art, meticulously traces the family back to the small tenant farmers from whom they actually descended. Additionally, Compton-Burnett's father, James, was claimed to be son of 'a considerable landowner' at Redlynch, near Salisbury, the place of James's birth.

Selected publications

Novels

Children's books

Biographies

Translations