Burton, Isabel (1831–1896)
Burton, Isabel (1831–1896)
English traveler. Name variations: Lady Burton. Born Isabel Arundell in London, England, in 1831; died of cancer in 1896; daughter of Henry Raymond Arundell; married Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821–1890, the English explorer and scholar), in 1861.
Before her marriage, Lady Isabel Burton performed social work among London prostitutes. Married to explorer Richard Burton in 1861, she accompanied him as much as possible, sharing his posts at Santos, Brazil, and Damascus where they pioneered interracial receptions and went on archaeological expeditions. After her husband's death in 1890, Isabel wrote his biography, The Life of Sir Richard Burton (1893). Though she destroyed his journals and last incomplete work, The Scented Garden Men's Hearts to Gladden, she did prepare a memorial edition of his works. She also wrote Inner Life of Syria (1875), the success of which financed a trip to India, as well as Arabia, Egypt, and India (1879). Her own biography was written nearly a half a century after her death by Jean Burton . Entitled Sir Richard Burton's Wife (also called Life of Lady Burton), the work was published in 1942.
suggested reading:
Lovell, Mary S. A Rage to Live: A Biography of Richard and Isabel Burton. NY: W.W. Norton, 1998.