Lucy Luck (1848-1922)
Lucy Luck was born in Tring in Hertfordshire, in 1848. In her autobiography, Luck gives a concise account of her life, and the content exhibits similar themes as found in the autobiographies of Mary Smith and Ellen Johnston, such as an insecure childhood, intermittent employment in adulthood and an enduring battle against poverty and destitution. The straightforward chronological movement of Luck’s narrative begins with a brief summary of her family background revealing that, like Johnston, Luck suffered from the misfortune of having a bad father who similarly deserted his wife and children. The adverse effects of her father’s behaviour are evident in Luck’s memories of her unhappy childhood, particularly when having no other means of support her mother has no choice but to ask the parish authorities for help, and consequently, Luck and her family are interned in the workhouse. However, Luck does not dwell on her experiences in the workhouse, and the main text focuses on the numerous jobs she had in early adulthood before eventually becoming a skilled straw-plaiter. This position enabled her to earn a relatively decent income and gave her some security.
Luck’s autobiography was originally published in the literary journal The London Mercury in 1926, and more recently, it can be found in John Burnett’s collection of autobiographical extracts Useful Toil, published in 1974. Luck does not give an account of her reasons for writing her autobiography, but her daughter has reported, ‘Mother used to sit and write at night when she couldn’t sleep.’ The most apparent difference between Luck’s autobiography and the previous ones highlighted so far, is that unlike them Luck lived a long life, and once she had settled down into married life, a relatively happy one. Luck died in 1922, at the age of seventy-eight.
Luck’s autobiography was originally published in the literary journal The London Mercury in 1926, and more recently, it can be found in John Burnett’s collection of autobiographical extracts Useful Toil, published in 1974. Luck does not give an account of her reasons for writing her autobiography, but her daughter has reported, ‘Mother used to sit and write at night when she couldn’t sleep.’ The most apparent difference between Luck’s autobiography and the previous ones highlighted so far, is that unlike them Luck lived a long life, and once she had settled down into married life, a relatively happy one. Luck died in 1922, at the age of seventy-eight.
