Mary Matilda Betham, known by family and friends as Matilda Betham, was an English diarist, poet, woman of letters, and miniature portrait painter. She exhibited paintings at the Royal Academy of Arts from 1804 to 1816. Her first of four books of verses was published in 1797. For six years, she researched notable historical women around the world and published A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country in 1804.
Early life
She was the eldest of fourteen children born to Rev. William Betham of Stonham Aspal, Suffolk and Mary Damant of Eye, Suffolk. Her father researched and published books on royal and English baronetage genealogy. He was also a schoolmaster and the Anglican rector of Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire. Betham was baptised on 1 January 1777 and raised in Stonham Aspal. She is said to have had a happy childhood marred by poor health. She was largely self-educated in her father's library, but gleaned from it and his occasional tutelage an interest in history and literature. She claimed that a key loss of not having attending a school was that she did not learn the art of defending herself. From a young age, Betham would recite poetry and was a voracious reader of plays and history. She was sent out for sewing lessons "to prevent my too strict application to books." Betham learned to speak French during trips to London. Her younger brother was William Betham. As the family grew, family furnishings were sold to support the family, and although she was not pushed out of the home, Betham felt the need to support herself and taught herself to paint miniature portraits. It was during a trip to her Uncle Edward Beetham in London that she was inspired to pursue painting and explore her literary talents. The family lived in a centre of literary and artistic activity. While visiting the Beethams she met the artist John Opie, who was instructing her cousin, Jane Beetham, and received lessons from him during her stay. Betham was also encouraged to explore her literary talents by her uncle, who was a publisher. She studied with William Wordsworth and studied Italian with Agostino Isola in Cambridge in 1796.
Adulthood
In 1797, Betham wrote Elegies, and Other Small Poems, which included Italian poems translated into English and Arthur & Albina, a Druid ballad. She received a tribute for this from Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who wrote To Matilda from a Stranger in 1802, comparing her to Sappho and encouraging her to continue writing poetry.
Works
Literary
- sometimes attributed to Matilda Betham
Paintings
She exhibited the following paintings at the Royal Academy of Arts between 1804 and 1816:
