Margaret Gatty was an English children's author and writer on marine biology.
Background
Gatty was born in Burnham on Crouch, Essex, the daughter of the Rev. Alexander John Scott, D.D., a Royal Navy chaplain, who served under and was the trusted friend of Lord Nelson on board the HMS Victory before and during the Battle of Trafalgar.
Career
Margaret Gatty became a highly useful and popular writer of tales for young people. While her tales were targeted at young people, she hoped that they would influence the minds of adults as well. Gatty became fascinated with marine biology, possibly on the advice of William Henry Harvey, whom she had met while convalescing in Hastings in 1848.
Following this, Margaret Gatty wrote a book on British seaweeds which was more accessible than what had been written previously on the subject. She corresponded with many of the greatest marine biologists of her day including George Busk and Robert Brown. Margaret Gatty amassed a large collection of marine material, much of which gathered by her correspondents in far flung corners of the British Empire.
Gatty suffered from ill health for most of her life and is thought to have suffered from undiagnosed Multiple Sclerosis. He advised her on the use of Chloroform during childbirth and Gatty became the first woman in Sheffield to use the drug during labour. Gatty was the mother of Juliana Horatia Ewing, also a writer of children's books, and Alfred Scott-Gatty, who served as Garter Principal King of Arms.