Matilda Jane Evans

Life & Legacy

Henrietta Matilda Jane Evans (née Congreve; 7 August 1827 – 22 October 1886) was an English-born Australian novelist who wrote under the pseudonym Maud Jeanne Franc. Evans moved to South Australia with her family in 1852, and was soon left responsible for her three younger siblings after the death of her parents. She began working as a governess and eventually opened her own school in Mount Barker. In 1860, she married a Baptist preacher with whom she had two sons. After her husband's death in 1863, she again began operating her own school, before retiring in 1882 to dedicate herself to her writing and to her work as a Baptist deaconess.
Evans wrote 14 novels over the course of her career, as well as various articles, poems, and short stories. Her writing largely consisted of domestic novels that emphasised moral and religious themes. Her novels, many of which were set in the Australian bush, were popular among young readers and each saw multiple editions printed in London. Her writing emphasised the importance of domesticity and moral conduct, particularly from young women, in civilising the Australian colonies.