Isabella Fyvie Mayo

Who was Isabella Fyvie Mayo?

Isabella Fyvie Mayo was a Scottish poet, and novelist who also wrote under the pen name Edward Garrett.

Born as the youngest child of Scottish parentage in London in 1843, Isabella was privately educated at a girl's school near Covent Garden. With the help of friends she published poems and stories, using the pseudonym Edward Garrett. In 1870 Isabella married John Ryall Mayo, a solicitor, who died in 1877, leaving her with one son. She spent most of her life living in Aberdeen. In Aberdeen, she was the first woman elected to a public board. Her "home was an asylum for Asian Indians." She died on May 3, 1914, of cancer.