Margaret Gatty

Margaret Gatty was an English children's author and writer on marine biology. In some writings she argues against Charles Darwin's Origin of Species. She became a popular writer of tales for young people, which she hoped would influence adult minds as well. Among her other books are Parables from Nature, Worlds not Realized, Proverbs Illustrated, and Aunt Judy's Tales. She edited Aunt Judy's Magazine, a family publication written by various family members.

Gatty was born in Burnham on Crouch, Essex, the daughter of Mary Frances (née Ryder) and the Rev. Alexander John Scott. Her father was a linguist, scholar and Royal Navy chaplain who served under Lord Nelson. Her mother died when she was young and Gatty took on a caring role in a family consisting of her father, grandfather and younger sister Horatia. She and her sister were educated at home, learning Italian and German, painting and writing poetry. Her poetry was encouraged by Margaret Holford but after a rejection by Blackwood's Magazine she did not pursue this further.

The family knew a local curate Rev. Alfred Gatty, D.D. from 1837. She married him on 8 July 1839 at St Giles in the Fields, Holborn, Camden, (after overcoming her father's objections) and moved into the vicarage of the Church of St Mary, Ecclesfield near Sheffield, shortly after, on the recommendation of her uncle. She lived there for the rest of her life. They had eight children. In 1848 she was introduced to collecting marine algae while in Hastings recovering from a breakdown. Her husband died in 1903.

Gatty was the mother of Juliana Horatia Ewing, also a writer of children's books, of the musician and author Charles Tindal Gatty, and of Alfred Scott-Gatty who served as Garter Principal King of Arms. Her daughter Horatia Eden shared her interest in marine biology, inherited her mother's collections and added to them herself especially marine invertebrates.

Gatty suffered from ill health for most of her life, possibly from undiagnosed multiple sclerosis. Her frequent illnesses brought close friendship with Dr George Johnston, who was noted for advocating pain-relieving medication. He advised her to use chloroform in childbirth and in 1851 Gatty became the first woman in Sheffield to do so. She died at home on 4 October 1873 and was buried in Ecclesfield churchyard.