A Letter to the Queen

Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton (1808–1877) was an English author and social reformer. After Norton left her husband in 1836, he sued her friend and Prime Minister Lord Melbourne for adultery. Though the claim was thrown out of court, Norton was denied a divorce and access to her children. In response to this, Norton campaigned vehemently, which eventually led to the passing of the Custody of Infants Act 1839, the Matrimonial Causes Act 1857, and the Married Women’s Property Act 1870. This volume contains a letter sent by Norton to Queen Victoria of England in 1856, petitioning the queen to help expedite Lord Chancellor Cranworth’s Marriage and Divorce Bill which would furnish women with more rights within marriage. A fascinating piece of English history not to be missed by those with an interest in the struggle for women’s rights. Other notable works by this author include: “The Dandies Rout” (1825), “The Wife, and Woman’s Reward” (1835), and “Stuart of Dunleath” (1851). Read & Co. Books is republishing this historic letter now in a new edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.