DRANE

drane, augusta theodosia (1823-1894), english writer, was born at bromley, near bow, on the 29th of december 1823. brought up in the anglican creed, she fell under the influence of tractarian teaching at torquay, and joined the roman catholic church in 1850. she wrote, and published anonymously, an essay questioning the _morality of tractarianism_, which was attributed to john henry newman. in 1852, after a prolonged stay in rome, she joined the third order of st dominic, to which she belonged for over forty years. she was prioress (1872-1881) of the stone convent in staffordshire, where she died on the 29th of april 1894. her chief works in prose and verse are: _the history of saint dominic_ (1857; enlarged edition, 1891); _the life of st catherine of siena_ (1880; 2nd ed., 1899); _christian schools and scholars_ (1867); _the knights of st john_ (1858); _songs in the night_ (1876); and the _three chancellors_ (1859), a sketch of the lives of william of wykeham, william of waynflete and sir thomas more. a complete list of her writings is given in the _memoir of mother francis raphael, o.s.d., augusta theodosia drane_, edited by b. wilberforce, o.p. (london, 1895).