Petersburg, where she stayed with Kravchinski's sister-in-law, Preskovia Karauloff. From 1887 to 1889, she worked as a governess in St. Back in London she learned Russian from Sergei Kravchinski, known as Stepniak who encouraged her to go to Russia. During this period, she became increasingly attracted to revolutionary politics. This allowed her to study piano and musical composition at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, which she attended between 18. Īt the age of eighteen, she gained access to a legacy. She became withdrawn, dressing in black and calling herself 'Lily'. Ethel returned to London at the age of ten. Described as 'a religious fanatic and sadist', who regularly beat his children, he apparently forced Ethel to play the piano for hours on end. Her mother decided to send her to live in Lancashire with her brother, who was manager of a coal mine, believing that it would be good for her health. When she was eight, Ethel contracted erysipelas, a disease associated with poor sanitation. Her mother returned to her native England with her daughters, and was able to live off a small government pension until she was appointed librarian at Queen's College, London. Her father died six months after she was born. She is best known for her novel The Gadfly, which became hugely popular in her lifetime, especially in Russia.Įthel Lilian Boole was born on, at Lichfield Cottage, Blackrock, Ballintemple, Cork, the youngest daughter of English parents, mathematician George Boole (father of Boolean logic), and mathematician and educationalist Mary Everest, who was the niece of George Everest and a writer for Crank, an early-20th-century periodical. Voynich was a significant figure, not only on the late Victorian literary scene, but also in Russian émigré circles. She was born in Cork, but grew up in Lancashire, England. Ethel Lilian Voynich, née Boole ( – 27 July 1960) was an Irish-born novelist and musician, and a supporter of several revolutionary causes.

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