Bunbury, Selina (1802–1882)

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Bunbury, Selina (1802–1882)

Irish novelist and traveler. Born in Kilsaran, County Louth, Ireland, in 1802; died in Cheltenham in 1882.

Selina Bunbury was born in Kilsaran, County Louth, Ireland, in 1802; she was 17 when her father went bankrupt and her mother moved to Dublin with the children. While teaching in a primary school, Bunbury wrote books about Ireland, including A Visit to My Birthplace (1820) and Tales of My Country (1833). Then the family moved to Liverpool, where Selina kept house for her twin brother and continued writing, publishing many popular novels. Following her brother's marriage in 1845, Bunbury took to the road, publishing books on her travels throughout Europe. Though prolific, she hardly came close to the 100 titles that have been attributed to her.