Anna Sewell of Britain wrote Black Beauty , the classic of children, in 1877.

Great lover of this kind and generous woman for horses and her desire to see them better treated resulted in the most celebrated animal story of the 19th century.

A strict Quaker family, who lived at Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, brought her to believe in the importance of self-reliance, moral responsibility and "tender consideration for the Creatures of God." From an early age, she developed a strong love of animals and abhorred any form of cruelty. A seemingly natural affinity and experience of a lifetime bore the evident great knowledge of horsemanship. Anna received her education at home from her mother, who accomplished ballads, instilled well a sense of duty and religion, and also filled the house with music, painting and poetry; Anna quickly proved a capable pianist and artist. Anna already suffered from a crippling bone disease; and a fall at 14 years of age in 1834 left her an invalid for the rest of her life. She relied on a pony cart to transport her before her mid-thirties. Characteristically, she never used a whip and intended to "induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses."

Confined to her room through ill health, Anna started in 1871 but later abandoned the project until 1876. Afraid that she lived not to see the book published, she worked laboriously despite failing health. Her mother found a publisher for the book, and a delighted Anna saw her work in print in November 1877. She died five months later, and the family buried her at its plot near Old Catton in Norfolk. Anna lived not to see the effect of her "little book" on the millions of readers around the world. People translated it into many languages, and several attempted at filming it. As Anna expected, the book exercised great influence on the treatment of animals, a fact that the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) highlighted in recommendation.


See Also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Sewell