Beatrix Potter (celebrating the 125th Anniversary of Peter Rabbit)
As it is an important anniversary of Peter Rabbit this year and it has been a long time since we wrote about Beatrix Potter, I thought I would revisit her. We have also recently purchased some lovely collectable editions of the Peter Rabbit books so we can showcase these too.
Helen Beatrix Potter was born in London in 1866 and had a little brother, Bertram, who was five years younger than she was. Beatrix loved the natural world, her annual trips to Scotland and the Lake District were highlights of her early years. She loved to collect flowers, insects and even little animals and returned home laden with all sorts of treasures she had discovered. Her study of botany and biology was such that, had she not become a writer, she would most likely have been an eminent scientist.
As a teenager Beatrix was a regular visitor to the art galleries of London, particularly enjoying the exhibitions at the Royal Academy in London. Although she was aware of art and artistic trends, her drawings and her prose style were uniquely her own.
At the age of 26 she began to write picture letters for children which would later become the basis for her books. She originally sent the complete story of Peter Rabbit to a number of publishers in 1900, only for the story to be rejected. Then, in 1901, she had 250 copies of the book privately printed, each priced at 1/6 and with black and white illustrations. These quickly sold out and another 200 copies were printed with slightly amended text. This edition appeared in 1902 and again sold well and quickly.
In 1902 Beatrix approached Frederick Warne again and this time they agreed to publish the book if she produced colour pictures instead of black and white. And so, the first of the Peter Rabbit stories was published with another 22 in the series to come. In my younger days I was only aware of the Peter Rabbit stories, not realising that she had written over 60 books in all!
In 1905 Beatrix became engaged to Norman Warne, her publisher’s youngest son but tragically this was to be a very short engagement. Only weeks later her fiancé died of leukaemia at the age of 37. Beatrix buried herself in her work after this and purchased a farmhouse in Sawrey in the Lake District, England. This farmhouse featured in many of her Peter Rabbit stories and, having historical value, it is now owned by the National Trust and can be visited. It is currently closed for conservation, opening again in March 2026 - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/hill-top.
Beatrix was eventually married to William Heelis, a Lake District solicitor, in 1913. She then based herself in Sawrey and devoted herself to the slow, traditional and practical task of learning to be a farmer[CT1] . During this time she developed a love for the Herdwick Sheep and is remembered in Sawrey, not as Beatrix Potter the famous writer, but as Mrs. Heelis of Sawrey, president-elect of the Herdwick Association. She passed away in 1943 at the age of 77.
References:
- The History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter by Leslie Linder
- The Art of Beatrix Potter with an appreciation by Anne Carroll Moore
- Wikipedia
Contributed by Maria
(Published on 4th Feb 2026)
