Jane T. Worthington

Jane T. Worthington (1821–1847) was a 19th-century American short story writer, essayist, and poet from Norfolk, Virginia, associated with Southern U.S. literature. Descended from a Virginian family, she began writing at least by the age of fourteen under a pen name. Her writings appeared almost exclusively in the Southern Literary Messenger. Noted for her graceful style, Worthington won a prize of US$100 for her story, "Life and Love" (1844), before her death a few years later in Cincinnati, Ohio at the age of 26.[1][2]

Early life and education

Jane Tayloe[a] Lomax was born in Norfolk, Virginia, February 2, 1821.[4] She descended from a distinguished family of the State of Virginia. Her parents were Colonel Mann Page Lomax (1787–1842), of the U.S. Army,[1] and Elizabeth Virginia (Lindsay) Lomax (1796–1875). Jane had several younger siblings: Elizabeth, Lunsford, William, Mann, Ann, Mattie, Eleanor, Julia, Mary, and Lunsford.[5]

She was educated in different parts of the country, as the exigencies of the military service led to changes of residence by her father. While her extensive traveling gave her exposure to various parts of society, her love of Virginia remained.[6][7]

Career

She began writing at least age 14 under a pen name. Nearly all her writings, in prose and verse, appeared in the Southern Literary Messenger, which was edited by a personal friend, at Richmond, Virginia. She excelled most in the essay, with numerous compositions of this kind written in the four or five years of her literary life. Her poems, were characterized as simple, graceful, and earnest.[1]

Her story, "Life and Love", took the prize of US$100 from Dollar Newspaper,[8] a Philadelphia paper, where there were more than 50 competitors.[6]

Worthington's style was characterized as being full of feminine emotion and brilliance, highlighting the beauties of nature and domestic life.[9] Her bright words were said to encourage readers like songbirds.[10]

Personal life

Jane Tayloe Lomax moved to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1840, and two years later, to Washington D.C. On February 7, 1843, she married physician,[11] Dr. Francis Asbury Worthington[12] (1819–1849),[1] son of Thomas Worthington, Governor of Ohio.[13] Together, they had two children, Elizabeth Lindsey Worthing (who died in childbirth), and Alice S. Worthington (1846-1900). The family resided in Chillicothe, Ohio.[7]

Death and legacy

Jane Worthington died of tuberculosis in Cincinnati, Ohio, May 26, 1847 at the age of 26.[5]

While no collection of her works was published,[14] her fugitive verse[15] continued to be published for more than fifty years after her death.[16]

Awards

  • 1844, First prize, Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper, "Life and Love"[17]

Selected works

Hymns

  • "It visiteth the desolate"[18]

Poems

  • "Lines to One Who Will Understand Them"
  • "Moonlight on the Grave"
  • "Sleep"
  • "The Common Bramble"
  • "The Child's Grave"
  • "The Withered Leaves"
  • "The Poor"
  • "To the peaks of Otter"
  • "To Twilight"
  • "The Child's Portrait"
  • "A Memory"
  • "Madame De Stael"
  • "The Stranger's Grave"
  • "Korner"
  • "Schiller"
  • "Corinna's Last Song"

Short stories

  • "Life and Love"[17][19]
  • "Ravenel Hall. A Tale in Two Parts."
  • "Love Sketches"
  • "The Widowers Bride"
  • "The Classmates"

Notes

  1. ↑ Sometimes misspelled, "Taylor".[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Forrest, Mary (1861). Women of the South Distinguished in Literature ... (Public domain ed.). Derby & Jackson. p. 499. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  2. ↑ Kallio, Pasi. "Southern historiography in modern history Figural and philosophical aspects of historical discourse in Virginia and South Carolina, 1800–1844". Department of World Cultures University of Helsinki Finland: 181.
  3. ↑ Allibone, Samuel Austin (1871). A Critical Dictionary of English Literature and British and American Authors, Living and Deceased, from the Earliest Accounts to the Latter Half of the Nineteenth Century: Containing Over Forty-six Thousand Articles (authors), with Forty Indexes of Subject (Public domain ed.). J. B. Lippincott & Co. p. 2852. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  4. ↑ The "Old Northwest" Genealogical Quarterly (Public domain ed.). "Old Northwest" Genealogical Society. 1901. p. 40. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Jane Tayloe Lomax Female 2 February 1821 – 26 May 1847". www.familysearch.org. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Life and Love". Herald of The Times (Public domain ed.). 1 February 1844. p. 3. Retrieved 13 December 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. 1 2 Minor, B. B., ed. (January 1844). "Contributors to the Southern Literary Messenger". Southern and Western Literary Messenger and Review. Vol. 10 (Public domain ed.). T.W. White. p. 64. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "Philadelphia "Dollar Newspaper"". Carlisle Herald (Public domain ed.). Chambersburg, PA. 10 November 1845. p. 3. Retrieved 23 August 2026 – via Cumberland Valley Sentinel. Open access icon
  9. ↑ Griswold, Rufus Wilmot. "The Female Poets of America". p. 262.
  10. ↑ "JOHN REUBEN THOMPSON, 'The Late Edgar A. Poe', Southern Literary Messenger, November 1849", Edgar Allen Poe, Routledge, 2013-01-11, pp. 340–346, ISBN 978-0-203-19547-5, retrieved 2024-07-03
  11. ↑ Duyckinck, Evert Augustus (1866). Cyclopaedia of American literature, by E. A. and G. L. Duyckinck (Public domain ed.). p. 678. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "FamilySearch.org". ancestors.familysearch.org. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  13. ↑ Lomax, Edward Lloyd (1913). Genealogy of the Virginia Family of Lomax (Public domain ed.). Rand, McNally & Company. p. 40. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  14. ↑ Griswold, Rufus Wilmot (1874). The Female Poets of America (Public domain ed.). J. Miller. p. 260. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  15. ↑ Gordon, Armistead Churchill (1923). Virginian Writers of Fugitive Verse (Public domain ed.). J. T. White & Company. p. 210. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  16. ↑ "Sleep". New Castle Herald (Public domain ed.). 9 July 1909. p. 4. Retrieved 13 December 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  17. 1 2 "Popular Tales. "Life and Love: A Prize Tale." By Jane Tayloe Worthington". Herald of The Times (Public domain ed.). 1 February 1844. p. 1. Retrieved 23 August 2026 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  18. ↑ "Jane T. Worthington". hymnary.org. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  19. ↑ "Popular Tales. "Life and Love: A Prize Tale." By Jane Tayloe Worthington (continued)". Herald of The Times (Public domain ed.). 1 February 1844. p. 2. Retrieved 23 August 2026 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
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