Lifespan: 1768-1832
Nationality: Scottish
Genres:
Types of Work: Novels, travel guides, educational works
Contemporaries: Anna Maria and Jane Porter
Style: Draws on anecdotes from life, both historical and recent.
Bio: Elizabeth Isabella Spence, born in 1768, was the only child of Dr. Spence, a physician in Durham, England. Her mother's father was the well known physician of the time, Dr. Fordyce. Her parents died while she was still young, and little Elizabeth was sent to London to live with her Uncle and Aunt, who also died within the course of a few years, leaving her completely alone. Elizabeth had already begun to write essays for newspapers and magazines, and, after the death of her relatives, she began writing larger works to support herself. She published her first novel, Helen Sinclair, in 1799, and her last novel, Dame Rebecca Berry, was published in 1827.
For most of her life, Elizabeth lived in the west end of London, where she was visited by many of the literary world, including fellow authoresses, Lady Anne Barnard, Anna Maria and Jane Porter, Letitia Landon, Mrs. Mary Knowles.
In 1832, she suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed. She was moved from London to Chelsea, where she died on July 27, 1832.
Novels:
Helen Sinclair (1799)
Nobility of the Heart (1804)
Wedding Day (1807)
The Curate and His Daughter, a Cornish Tale
How To Be Rid of A Wife
Old Stories
Dame Rebecca Berry
A Traveler's Tale
Commemorative Feelings
The Spanish Guitar