Lucy Aikin

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Lucy Aikin (November 6, 1781- January 29, 1864), daughter of John Aikin and niece of Anna Letitia Barbauld, born at Warrington, England, had some repute as a historical writer.

After producing various books for the young under the pseudonym Mary Godolphin, a poem, Epistles on Women, and a novel, Lorimer (1814), she published in 1818 her Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth, which passed through several editions. This was followed by Memoirs of the Court of James I (1822), Memoirs of the Court of Charles I (1833) and a Life of Addison (1843). Miss Aikin died at Hampstead, England, where she had lived for forty years.

She also wrote lives of her father and of Barbauld. She was remarkable for her conversational powers, and was also an admirable letter-writer. Like the rest of her family she was a Unitarian.

[edit] References

See a Memoir of John Aikin, with selections of his miscellaneous pieces (1823); and the Memoirs, Miscellanies and Letters of Lucy Aikin (1864), including her correspondence (1826-1842) with William Ellery Channing, edited by P. H. Le Breton.
This article incorporates public domain text from: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J.M. Dent & sons; New York, E.P. Dutton.