Georgiana Fullerton

Lady Georgiana Fullerton (née Leveson-Gower) was born on 23 September 1812 at Tixall Hall in Staffordshire, England. She was the second daughter of Lord Granville Leveson-Gower, the first Earl of Granville, and Lady Harriet Elizabeth Cavendish. Her baptism took place on 10 October 1812, and she was initially baptized in the Anglican tradition. During her childhood years, she resided in Paris, where her father served as the British ambassador. In Paris, she received piano lessons from Franz Liszt.

In 1833, on 13 July, she married Alexander George Fullerton, an embassy attaché, in Paris. Eight years after her marriage, she and her husband left Paris following her father’s retirement from diplomatic service. The couple then lived in Rome for several years, where her husband converted to Roman Catholicism. Lady Georgiana followed suit and was received into the Roman Catholic Church on Passion Sunday, 29 March 1846, in London. She became associated with other aristocratic converts to Catholicism, such as Margaret Radclyffe Livingstone Eyre and Cecil Chetwynd Kerr, Marchioness of Lothian.

The death of her only son in 1855 at the age of 21 profoundly affected her, leading to a period of mourning. Subsequently, she dedicated herself to philanthropic activities. In 1856, she formally adopted the Franciscan tradition by enrolling in the Third Order of Saint Francis. Her residence in Sussex became a hub for charitable work, including efforts to bring the Sisters of St. Vincent of Paul to England and support for various religious and social causes. In 1872, she assisted in founding the religious community and charitable school, Poor Servants of the Mother of God Incarnate, sponsored by Frances Margaret Taylor, in which she also served as a benefactor.

In her later years, she moved to Bournemouth, residing at Ayrfield on Gervis Road. Lady Georgiana Fullerton died there on 19 January 1885. Her remains were interred at the Cemetery of the Sacred Heart in Roehampton. Following her death, Madame Augustus Craven (née La Ferronays) published a biography titled *Lady Georgiana Fullerton, sa Vie et ses Œuvres*, documenting her philanthropic work. A Blue Plaque commemorating her charitable contributions has been placed on the Sacred Heart Church in Bournemouth.

Throughout her literary career, which spanned from 1844 to 1883, Fullerton published approximately a dozen novels and biographies focusing on religious, historical, and romantic themes. Her first novel, *Ellen Middleton*, appeared in July 1844, followed by *Grantley Manor* in 1847. Her most renowned work was *Too Strange not to Be True*, published in 1864, which examined the life of a French emigrant in Canadian wilderness.

Her other published works include *The Old Highlander*, *The Ruins of Strata Florida and Other Verses* (1849), *Lady Bird* (1852), *Life of St. Francis of Rome* (1855), *La Comtesse de Bonneval* (1857), *Rose Leblanc* (1861), *Laurentia* (1861), *Constance Sherwood* (1865), *Life of the Marchessa G. Falletti di Baroto* (1866), *A Stormy Life* (1867), *The Helpers of the Holy Souls* (1868), *Mrs. Gerald's Niece* (1869), *The Gold-digger and Other Verses* (1872), *Life of Louisa de Carvajal* (1873), *Seven Stories* (1873), *Rosemary* (1874), *Sketch of the Life of Father Henry Young* (1874), *A Will and a Way* (1881), *Life of Elizabeth Lady Farkland* (1883), and *A Stormy Life: Queen Margaret's Journal* (1885).

Her writings received notable attention; for instance, Edgar Allan Poe reviewed her novel *Ellen Middleton*, expressing surprise at its literary quality. Critical reception varied, with some praising her talent, while others noted her religious themes and perspectives.

In sum, Lady Georgiana Fullerton was a novelist and philanthropist who contributed to religious literature and charitable work in 19th-century England.