Anna Sewell was born on 30 March 1820 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. Her father was a bank manager and her mother was a popular writer of books for young people. The family were Quakers and strongly believed that they should show love for all and compassion for those in less fortunate circumstances. This also included the animals that shared their lives. In Victorian England, horses were used in industry, and were often treated badly. Anna and her mother were appalled if they saw a horse being mistreated and often showed their disapproval to the horse’s owner. (http://www.penguinreaders.com/pdf/downloads/pr/teachers-notes/9781405878319.pdf)