Ann Radcliffe

(b. July 9, 1764, London, England – d. Feb. 7, 1823, 5 Stafford Row, Stafford Place, Pimlico, London )

Gender: F

Ann Ward (1764-1823) was the daughter of a haberdasher; her uncle Thomas Bentley was Josiah Wedgwood’s business partner. In 1787 she married William Radcliffe, editor of the English Chronicle; they had no children. She wrote a number of Gothic novels, the most famous being The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794). She made significant income from her novels, selling the copyright of Udolpho for £500 and that of The Italian (1797) for £800. She published A Sicilian Romance in 1790. Jane Austen parodied Udolpho in her novel Northanger Abbey.

Also known as:

Ann Radcliffe

Please note that all dates and location information are provisional, initially taken from the library and archive catalogues. As our section editors continue to work through the material we will update our database and the changes will be reflected across the edition.

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