Letitia E. Landon was born on 14 August 1802 in Chelsea. Her ancestors were Hertfordshire landed gentry, but her great-grandfather lost most of the family fortune in a bad speculation. Her father, John Landon, was a midshipman who retired from the navy to become the partner in the army agent Adair's and Co, Pall Mall. After the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the demand for military supplies suddenly dropped and the family were forced to return to Fulham and then, the following year, to Old Brompton.
Landon was the eldest of her two siblings Whittington Henry and Eliza, who died aged 13. For several months at the age of 5 Landon attended a reputable school run by the poet Frances Rowden; then she was tutored at home by her cousin Elizabeth who closely directed her reading. She read widely,
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Citation: Chapman, Alison. "Laetitia Landon". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 July 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5142, accessed 21 November 2024.]
