Lucy Elizabeth Drummond Sale-Barker, née Davies, known also by her first married nameLucy Villiers was a British children's writer. She began her literary career with occasional articles for Dublin University Magazine and St James's Magazine, and about 1872 began to write regularly for children. Between 1874 and 1888 she published more than forty volumes for juvenile readers. Many of her stories were initially composed for her own children. Some of her publications bore such titles as Little Bright Eyes' Picture Book and Little Golden Locks' Story Book. She edited Little Wide-Awake, a magazine for children, from its commencement in 1874 until her death, and wrote the verses for Kate Greenaway's popular Birthday Book for Children.
Life
Lucy Elizabeth Drummond Davies was a daughter of Francis Henry Davies, a Court of Chancery registrar who died aged 72 at Koblenz on 22 October 1863, and his wife, the author Lady Lucy Clementina Drummond de Melfort, a sister of George Drummond, 5th Earl of Perth, whose claim was admitted in 1848 and who was restored to the peerage in 1853. Lucy had an older brother and sister, of whom little is known. In 1858 Lucy Davies married Lieutenant-Colonel James Villiers. Their children included a daughter, Clementina, later Mrs Thomas Dyer Edwards. However, Lieutenant-Colonel Villiers died of fever whilst in command of the 74th Highlanders at Ramdroog, India, on 10 May 1862, aged 38. On 10 August 1865 she married John Sale Barker, a barrister-at-law of Cadogan Place, who in 1879 was living at 22 Palace Gardens Terrace, Kensington. Her mother later lived with them and died at their house. Lucy Sale-Barker died 4 May 1892 at her home, Inglenook, 93 Lennard Road, Penge.
Works
Lily's home in the country, 1875
Little wide-awake: a story book for little children, 1876
Lily's visit to grandmamma, 1876
Lily's scrap-book, 1877
Lily's screen, 1877
Birds, beasts, and fishes, 1886
Edited by MRS. SALE BARKER
in Internet Archive – online
Descendants
By first husband
Clementina Georgina Lucy Drummond Villiers md 10 January 1878 St. Mary Abbots Church, Kensington Thomas Dyer Edwardes, sometimes called Thomas Dyer-Edwardes, Jr, son and heir of Thomas Dyer Edwardes who died 1885. The couple survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Edwards became a Catholic in 1924. Prinknash Abbey was given to the Benedictine order, according to his wishes, by his widow Clementina.
** Malcolm George Dyer-Edwardes Leslie, 20th Earl of Rothes whose son Ian succeeded him as 21st Earl of Rothes, and whose grandson James is the present 22nd Earl of Rothes. The heir presumptive is the Earl's brother Hon. Alexander John Leslie.
