Woman of the Century/Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta

BOTTA, Mrs. Anne Charlotte Lynch, author, born in Bennington, Vt., in 1820, died in New York City, 23rd March, 1891. Her father was a native of Dublin, Ireland, and at the age of sixteen he joined the rebel forces under Lord Edward Fitzgerald. He was captured, imprisoned four years, refused to take the oath of allegiance, and was banished. He came to the United States, where he died a few years after his marriage. Anne was educated in Albany, N. Y. She showed a literary bent in childhood, and, while still a girl, she published a number of productions. She removed to Providence, R. I., where she edited "The Khode Island Book" 1 Providence, 1842), which contained productions from the pens of the authors of that state. She next moved to New York City, where she made her home until her death. In 1855 she was married to Professor Vincenzo Botta, the educator, who was filling the chair of Italian language and literature in the University of the City of New York. For years their home was a literary and artistic center, and they entertained many of the famous authors, painters and musicians of Europe and America. In 1870 and 1871, when funds for the suffering women and children of Paris were collected in New York, Mrs. Botta raised $5,000 by the sale of an album of photographs, autographs and sketches by famous artists. As the Franco-Prussian war closed before the collection was complete, the money was used to found a prize in the French Academy for the best essay on "The Condition of Women," to be awarded every fifth year, when the interest on the fund should reach f 1,000. She excelled as a writer of sonnets. Her literary productions include a great number of stories, essay's, poems and criticisms. In 1848 she published her first volume of poems, and in 1884 she brought out a new edition, illustrated by eminent artists. In 1845 she published "Leaves from the Diary of a Recluse" in "The Gift." Another important book from her pen is "A Hand-book of Universal Literature" (New York, 1860), which has run through several editions and has been adopted as a text-book in many educational institutions. Mrs. Botta's style in verse is finished, elegant and melodious. Her prose is clear and telling.