Juliana Horatia Ewing

Juliana Horatia Ewing (née Gatty, 3 August 1841 - 13 May 1885) was an English storyteller. Her writings demonstrate a sympathetic understanding of children's lives, a love of all things military, and a profound religious conviction. Julie Gatty was the second of ten children born to the Rev. Alfred Gatty, Vicar of Ecclesfield in Yorkshire, and Margaret Gatty, a children's author. Their children were primarily educated by their mother, although Julie was often the driving force behind their different pursuits, such as acting and botany. Later, she was in charge of establishing a village library in Ecclesfield and assisted in the parish with her three sisters. Her first articles were published in Charlotte Mary Yonge's periodical The Monthly Packet. Julie married Major Alexander Ewing (1830-1895) of the Army Pay Corps on June 1, 1867. He was a pianist, composer, and translator who was also a devout churchgoer and shared his wife's passion for books. Within a week of their marriage, the Ewings were on their way to Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, where he had been assigned. They stayed for two years before returning to England in 1869, where they spent eight years in the army town of Aldershot. Despite the fact that her husband was moved overseas again, this time to Malta in 1879 and Sri Lanka in 1881, Ewing's health prevented her from accompanying him.