Alethea Lewis
Encyclopedia
Alethea Lewis was an English
novelist, born at Acton
, near Nantwich
, Cheshire
. Her father was the Reverend James Brereton. Althea was two years old when her mother died, and her father sent her away to live with her maternal grandfather. Her father later remarried and had more daughters.
She was engaged to William Springal Levett, the son of an Aldborough physician, who died young in 1774 before the couple could marry. In 1788 she married Augustus Towle Lewis, a surgeon with a criminal past. The couple lived in Philadelphia for a year, and then returned to England, where they finally settled in Penkridge
, Staffordshire
.
Of the novels that are attributed to Lewis, some are of unquestionable attribution, while others are of more doubtful provenance. Among her undisputed works are Vicissitudes in Genteel Life (1794) and The Microcosm (1801). Some of the more uncertain works have since been attributed to Frances Jacson
.
Lewis' themes mostly centre on her profound Christianity and the rewards of virtue. Her work is very self-conscious, and shows great erudition. Some of her work was published under the pseudonym "Eugenia de Acton", a play on her birthplace.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
novelist, born at Acton
Acton, Cheshire
Acton is a small village and civil parish lying immediately west of the town of Nantwich in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of...
, near Nantwich
Nantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. Her father was the Reverend James Brereton. Althea was two years old when her mother died, and her father sent her away to live with her maternal grandfather. Her father later remarried and had more daughters.
She was engaged to William Springal Levett, the son of an Aldborough physician, who died young in 1774 before the couple could marry. In 1788 she married Augustus Towle Lewis, a surgeon with a criminal past. The couple lived in Philadelphia for a year, and then returned to England, where they finally settled in Penkridge
Penkridge
Penkridge is a market town and ancient parish in Staffordshire, England with a population of 7,836 . Many locals refer to it as a village, although it has a long history as an ecclesiastical and commercial centre. Its main distinction in the Middle Ages was as the site of an important collegiate...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
.
Of the novels that are attributed to Lewis, some are of unquestionable attribution, while others are of more doubtful provenance. Among her undisputed works are Vicissitudes in Genteel Life (1794) and The Microcosm (1801). Some of the more uncertain works have since been attributed to Frances Jacson
Frances Jacson
Frances Margaretta Jacson was an English novelist.-Family commitments:...
.
Lewis' themes mostly centre on her profound Christianity and the rewards of virtue. Her work is very self-conscious, and shows great erudition. Some of her work was published under the pseudonym "Eugenia de Acton", a play on her birthplace.