Lifespan: 1802- 1838
Nationality: English
Genres:
Types of Work: Novels, Poetry
Contemporaries: Elizabeth Barrett Browning; Christina Rosetti
Other Names: L.E.L
Style:
Bio: Letitia was born August 14, 1802 in Chelsea, London, England. Her parents were John Landon and Catherine Bishop. Letitia was described as a precocious child who learned to read when just a toddler. At the age of 5, she attended Mrs. Rowden's school in London, but, after the family moved to the country in 1809, her schooling was completed by an older cousin.
In 1820, Letitia published her first work, a poem, under the single initial "L". She continued to publish poetry works for several years under the initials "L.E.L." and became wildly popular, and the identity of the author was much discussed and conjectured.
After the death of her father, Letitia began writing to support her family. In 1831, she published her first novel, Romance and Reality. It was at this time that rumors began to surface that Letitia had borne illegitimate children. Her fiancée at the time, John Forster, questioned her on the subject and she encouraged him to search out the matter himself. His inquiries exonerated Letitia, but she broke off their engagement, declining to marry a man who had so mistrusted her.
In 1836, Letitia met George Maclean, the governor of the Gold Coast (an area that is today Ghana), and the two were secretly married in June of 1838. The couple sailed for Cape Coast in July, and on October 15, Letitia was found dead with a bottle of prussic acid in her hand.
Novels:
Ethel Churchill
Francesca Carrara
The Improvisatrice
The Easter Gift, A Religious Offering
The Book of Beauty, or, Regal Gallery
Duty and Inclination
Romance and Reality