AustLit

English author of children's books, many of which were published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Like Bessie Marchant, Bedford chose to set a number of her narratives in exotic locations. There is, however, a noticeable lack of the kind of regionally specific detail Marchant includes in her books. For example, on the opening page of Jack, the Englishman, Bedford locates her characters in 'the northern districts of Tasmania', but gives virtually no other description of the area. Indeed, further references to Tasmania throughout the book are scarce. This suggests minimal research on the part of the author. On the other hand Love and a Will o' the Wisp, which is set in South Australia, has been described as 'an important contribution to the literature of emigration to Australia'. It is possible that Bedford spent some time in South Australia, although this has not been confirmed.