Born King's Lynn, Norfolk, father was Dr Charles Burney. Diarist, novelist: Evelina (1778), Cecelia (1782), Camilla (1796) and playwright. Her first novel, Evelina, was a big success and she entered literary society becoming good friends with Samuel Johnson. She became a member of the royal court, as an attendant to Queen Charlotte, 1786 - 1791, during which she witnessed one of King George III's first major periods of mental illness. When she left she was given a life-long pension and remained friends with the royal family. In 1793 married Alexandre D'Arblay, an exile from France. They returned to Paris and while there Fanny suffered a mastectomy without anaesthetic, which she then wrote about in horrific detail in a letter to her sister. In France 1802 - 1812 but returned to England with her son to avoid him being conscripted. She met Louis XVIII while they were both in London. When Napoleon escaped from Elba in 1815 she was in Paris and only just escaped as he entered. She was in Brussels in 1815 during the Battle of Waterloo. She then returned to England and lived in Bath and London for the rest of her life, dying at 29 Lower Grosvenor Street, Mayfair. Certainly not a dull life.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Frances (Fanny) Burney
Commemorated ati
Sir Isaac Newton's house- detailed
plaque inside building at top of stairway directly facing entrance
Other Subjects
Cyril Connolly
Literary critic and writer. Born Coventry and was brought up in South Africa and Ireland as well as England. Educated, with George Orwell and Cecil Beaton, at a school in Eastbourne. Edited Hori...
Royal Literary Fund
British benevolent fund for professional published authors in financial difficulties. The Prince Regent supported it by providing premises at 36 Gerrard Street.
Dick Whittington's cat
See Dick Whittington. The picture is the charming logo adopted by the Whittington Hospital on Highgate Hill.
Frederick Warne and Company
Former publishing company. Founded by Warne, who was a bookseller turned publisher. The company specialised in children's literature and initially turned down Beatrix Potter, but later changed thei...
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Sir Charles Thomas Wheeler
Sculptor. Born Staffordshire. Early rheumatic fever made him unfit for active service in 1914 so he served on the home front casting and moulding false limbs for amputees. Died at home in Mayfield,...
Runnymede Air Forces Memorial
TW20, Cooper's Hill Lane
The poem was apparently written soon after the memorial was completed. Photo of the engraving. The “ML, 7 April 1952” is probably the f...
Leyton Town Hall (second)
There are two adjacent buildings on High Road Leyton, both of which have served as the Town Hall. The first was the yellow brick building on the corner with Ruckholt Road. When this was outgrown th...
John Knight
Architect. We only have some ideas about who this might be, from Charles Saumarez Smith. In 1862 he may be the J. McKenzie Knight who designed the lovely Vestry Hall in Bancroft Road E1, and is now...
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