Jane Bowdler

(b. Feb. 14, 1743, Ashley, Bath, Somerset – d. 1784, Ashley, Bath, Somerset )

Gender: F

Jane Bowdler (1743-1784) was the daughter of Elizabeth Bowdler and sister of Henrietta Maria Bowdler (1750-1830), known as Harriet, who edited ‘The Family Shakespeare’, published under her brother Thomas’s name in 1807. This was an expurgated edition of 24 of Shakespeare’s plays, omitting all words and phrases they found distasteful, and gave rise to the term to ‘bowdlerise’. Jane wrote poems and essays, but suffered from chronic ill health brought on by an attack of smallpox. ODNB

Also known as:

Jane Bowdler

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