As part of my research to find people who I would like us all to remember, I came across this letter that was hand written by Amelia Opie back in 1834. Amelia Opie was an authoress and champion of people and causes throughout her entire life.
It is a letter that starts off with:
“Dear Friend”
I hope their are at Yarmouth, as I have a request, a favor of thee
I wish thee the kindings to introduce the bearer of this Mr Burbue? (Can’t read this) a young daughter of great promise to thy friend Dawson Turner. She wishes to see him & his treasures of all kings & the pansy pictures and so on.
It is long since we saw you at meetings. Perhaps were out travelling or on duty somewhere
Farewell Very truly thine Amelia Opie
Amelie wrote over a 1000 letters, as well as many novels, poems and songs. She was a very kind person, who, after sadly losing her mother at the age of 15 dedicated her life to others as well as caring for her father.
At an early age, she would visit France and learn the language, learned how to play many instruments and could sing . Her charming nature and personality did not go unnoticed and she was loved by many. On Valentines day so that others did not feel left out, she would send anonymous Valentines.
People became the focus of her life, visiting prisons, hospitals, the poor and even promoting a refuge for reformed prostitutes. Hers was the first signature of 187,000 presented to parliament as a petition from women to stop slavery.
She did marry, his name was John Opie a famous portrait painter. He painted many portraits of Amelia, one of them was quite unusual as it had two portraits of her in the same painting. He did this to show the many sides and talents of her. On the left it showed her writing and on the right she was playing the Mandolin. Sadly her husband died and she became a widow.
Later on in her life she joined the “Quakers Society Of Friends.” In 1814 she started going to meetings and in 1825 her application was accepted into the Society Of Friends. On being accepted she would no longer wear the dresses and gowns that she once wore. Instead she would wear plain grey dresses and a bonnet on her head. She still continued to help people until she died on 2nd December 1853.
In 1956 a statue of her was made. It shows her wearing her bonnet and dress that she wore so often as a Quaker. The statue stands above a building on a street named after her “Opie Street” in Norwich were she was born.
Two other monuments have been made. One is a stone monument that describes her life, husband and family and the other a plaque that has been placed on a wall near to where she lived in Norwich.
It has been a real pleasure for me to learn so much about her and the work she did throughout her life. She is a great example of someone that could do and did do so many things. A woman of many talents and a heart of Gold.
Amelie Opie, we remember you x
