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Mrs Linnaeus Banks, Writer
In her novel "The Manchester Man", Mrs Linnaeus Banks painted a vivid picture of Manchester in the 19th century. This was a time when men from humble backgrounds could make vast fortunes through mercantile activity. Mrs Banks' "Manchester Man" was perhaps the inspiration for the ill-bred but fabulously wealthy mill-owner whose daughter was to marry the King in "Black Adder". Mrs Banks was also a member of the Ladies Committee of the Anti-Corn Law League, which campaigned for the cause of Free Trade, the foundation upon which Manchester's wealth was built. Born: Oldham Street Manchester, 25 March 1821 Father:James Varley, Chemist Married: 12 Dec 1846, George Linnaeus Banks, journalist, editor & public lecturer Publications "Ivy Leaves" poetry, 1843; "God's Providence House", Novel, 1865; "The Manchester Man", novel serialised in Cassel's Magazine, published 1876 in full. Views on Manchester Mrs Banks was able to remember Manchester before it had been "modernised" - before the railways, viaducts and wide roads had been built. She particularly lamented the decline of warmth and hospitality in modern (late 19th century) Manchester. Source: "Famous Manchester People" published by the City Council and the Local Studies Unit, Manchester Central Library. |