MICHAEL FIELD AND FIN-DE-SIECLE CULTURE & SOCIETY

The Journals, 1868-1914, and Correspondence of Katharine Bradley and Edith Cooper from the British Library, London

Brief Chronology

1835 Feb. 1 – Emma Harris Bradley (Katharine's elder sister, and Edith's mother) is born to Emma Harris Bradley and Charles Bradley in Birmingham.

1846 Oct. 27 – Katharine Harris Bradley is born to Emma Harris Bradley and Charles Bradley (their second daughter) at 10 Digbeth, Birmingham.

1848 Feb. 17 – Charles Bradley dies, and Katharine is left alone with her mother and sister.

1860 Oct. 27 – James Robert Cooper is married to Katharine’s sister, now Emma Harris Cooper.

1862 Jan. 12 – Edith Emma Cooper is born to James and Emma in Kenilworth: Katharine’s niece.

1863 Mar. 5 – Amy Katharine Cooper is born to James and Emma, Edith’s younger sister. Emma becomes an invalid.

1867 July – by now Katharine and her mother are living with the Cooper family.

1868 May 30 – Katharine’s mother dies of cancer.

1868 Oct. 16 – Katharine is studying in Paris.

1874 Oct. – Katharine goes to Newnham College, Cambridge.

1875 May 10 – Katherine’s first book, The New Minnesinger, is published under the name Arran Leigh.

1879 Autumn – The Cooper family and Katharine move to Ivythorpe, Stoke Bishop, Barton Regis, near Bristol (they move house several times in the Bristol area over the next few years – during these years Katharine and Edith attend Bristol university).

1881 May 21 – Bellerophôn is published by Arran and Isla Leigh, the first verse-drama on which Katharine and Edith collaborate.

1884 May – publication of Callirrhoë and Fair Rosamund: two verse-dramas and the first volume to carry the name Michael Field.

1888 April – The Cooper family and Katharine move to Blackboro’ Lodge, Reigate, Surrey. Katharine and Edith begin the diary of Michael Field.

1889 May 20 – publication of Long Ago, the first book of poetry to appear under the name Michael Field.

1889 Aug 20 – Edith’s mother (Katharine's sister) dies of cancer.

1897 June 24 – Edith’s father (Katharine's brother in law) disappears mountaineering in Zermatt : months later they discover he died in a fall.

1898 Dec 25 – Amy (Edith's younger sister) gets engaged to John Ryan.

1899 May 16 – Edith and Katharine move to 'the Paragon' in Richmond, where, after Amy marries, they will live alone together for the first time.

1899 Sept 25 – Amy and John marry and live, at first, in Clifton.

1907 – both Katharine and Edith convert to Catholicism.

1910 Jan 22 – Amy dies in Dublin.

1913 Dec 13 – Edith dies.

1914 Sep 26 – Katharine dies.

<back