My Family

Many People often inquire about my family, so I have decided to indulge those wishes and dedicate this post to that cause.

I was born on July 28, 1866 (though in England we would write it as 28 July 1866) at No. 2 Bolton Garden, West Brompton (which would later be destroyed in the German air raids in World War II). There I lived with my parents Rupert and Hellen Potter, and my brother Bertram, who was born five years after me.

My father was a barrister and solicitor (or a "lawyer" to my American friends). But because he came from a wealthy family, and he was wealthy, he does not seem to have ever actually practiced law! Instead, he spent his days at his clubs. One could say that I inherited my great interest in drawing from my father, though he later turned his attention to photography. And, of course, he was quite good at it!

My mother also came from a well-off family. In those days it was not proper for a woman of my mother's social status to work. Therefore my mother spent her days visiting friends and acquaintances, and doing embroidery work. She would also dabble in the art of the paint brush, but generally preferred that of the needle. She also involved herself with charity work by transcribing books into braille for a London Blind Association (people who are unable to see the words in books are able to learn to read braille by feeling the bumps imprinted on paper that stand for letters).

Growing up my brother Bertram spent most of the year away at boarding school. But during the summer he was with us in Scotland or the Lake District. We both shared a strong interest in in nature and enjoyed studying it together. Once we found an old printing press and had great fun in making prints. It would later be taken away from us because of the great mess the ink we made for it created.

And there, dear reader is a bit about my family.

Source
Lane, Margaret. The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1978, Ch. 1, p. 57.