Charlotte Mary Yonge was born in Otterbourne, Hampshire, on 11 August 1823. She remained closely connected with the village for the rest of her life while building a long and commercially successful career as a novelist and editor.

Yonge was educated largely at home under her father, William Yonge. Another important influence was John Keble, the poet and clergyman who became vicar of nearby Hursley. Through Keble, Yonge became closely associated with the High Church Anglican ideas of the Oxford Movement.

She began publishing in the 1840s. In 1851, she became editor of The Monthly Packet, an Anglican magazine aimed particularly at younger women. She remained its editor for more than forty years.

Her largest early success came with The Heir of Redclyffe in 1853. The novel found a large readership and established Yonge as a successful writer. Much of her fiction dealt with families, duty, religious belief and the rules governing social behaviour.

Yonge went on to produce a large body of work including novels, children’s books, histories and religious writing. Her literary income also allowed her to support church and charitable projects.

Despite the scale of her publishing career, Yonge remained based at Otterbourne. She died there in 1901, nearly 78 years after her birth in the Hampshire village.