Isabella Alston

Isabella Frances Romer (1798-1852) was an English author recognized for her novels and travel writing. Born in London, she married Major William Medows Hamerton in 1818, with whom she had a daughter. The couple separated in 1827 due to Romer's adultery, and she subsequently reverted to her maiden name and lived in France. Hamerton obtained a divorce from her in 1830. Romer's literary career began under the name "Mrs. Hamerton" with the publication of "Mrs. Leslie and her Grandchildren" in 1827. She later gained prominence as "Mrs. Romer," particularly for her travel accounts detailing journeys through regions like the Rhone, Egypt, Nubia, and Palestine. She also penned fiction, including "Sturmer: a Tale of Mesmerism" (1841), which explored the controversial topic of mesmerism, aiming to caution readers about its potential dangers. Her biography of the Duchess of Angoulême was completed posthumously.

Isabella Romer's literary output spanned various genres. Her early work, "Mrs. Leslie and her Grandchildren" (1827), was published under the name "Mrs. Hamerton." Later, as "Mrs. Romer," she established a reputation as a travel writer with volumes such as "A Summer Ramble in 1842" and "A Pilgrimage to the Temples and Tombs of Egypt, Nubia and Palestine in 1845–6." Her fiction included "Sturmer: a Tale of Mesmerism" (1841), a novel exploring mesmerism, a subject Romer was convinced of and sought to educate readers about its potential dangers. She also contributed short stories and sketches to periodicals like Bentley's Miscellany. Her biographical work on the Duchess of Angoulême was finished posthumously.

Romer's travelogues, such as "The Rhone, the Darro, and the Guadalquivir" and "A Pilgrimage to the Temples and Tombs of Egypt, Nubia and Palestine," formed a significant part of her literary legacy. She encouraged women to engage in physical travel, particularly to the Middle East, aiming to share insights and warn them of potential difficulties. However, she also emphasized the demanding nature of such journeys for those unaccustomed to hardship, detailing the lack of modern conveniences and the necessity of resilience and self-reliance in challenging environments. Her descriptions, while lively, were noted for their focus on personal experiences and observations.

Born Isabella Frances Romer in 1798, she was the eldest child of an army officer. In 1818, she married Major William Medows Hamerton. The couple had one daughter. However, the marriage ended in separation in 1827 due to Romer's adultery with John Thomas Bushe. Following the separation, she resumed her maiden name and relocated to Paris to live with Bushe. Her husband was granted a divorce by Parliament in 1830. Romer did not remarry and continued her writing career. She died of cancer in London in 1852.

“I think that tourists in general have heretofore made too light of the perils of travelling in this country, and that many lives may be sacrificed to their accidental or intentional carelessness in disguising facts. Syria, in its actual state, is indeed no country for a delicate woman to travel in. All the wealth in the world, all the precautions possible, will not procure for her those auxiliaries to comfort which custom has rendered necessary for her well-being. She must forget that such things as carriages and carriage-roads exist; she must ride all day over execrable roads and under a burning sun; she must sleep at night in a tent, which is either the hottest or the coldest of all shelters; and if fever or accident overtake her on her way, she must trust in God and her own constitution to help her through, for neither physician nor apothecary, nor a roof to shelter her suffering head, will be forthcoming, even should thousands be offered for them.”