Roche-blanche

1778 or 1780? – 21 June 1832

Anna Maria Porter, the sister of Jane Porter and Robert Ker Porter, she was probably born on 17 December 1778. She spent her infancy in Durham, England, the home town of her mother. Her father, William Porter (1735–1779), served as an army surgeon for 23 years and died before she was a year old. After the death of her father, her family settled in Edinburgh, Scotland, where the Porter children attended charity school and enjoyed the friendship of Walter Scott. Throughout her life, Anna Maria was known as Maria (pronounced məɾˡaiə). At the age of 14, Maria published her first book, *Artless Tales*. She was in London by the 1790s, publishing verse in the *Universal Magazine*. After *Artless…