Laetitia Pilkington

Laetitia was born of two distinguished families. Her father was a physician and obstetrician, eventually the president of the College of Physicians for Ireland, and her mother was the niece of Sir John Meade. She was born either in Cork, where her parents lived at their marriage, or Dublin, where they moved by 1711.[1]

While still in her teens she married Matthew Pilkington in 1725, a rising priest in the Church of Ireland, who bought to the marriage all of his worldly processions, a harpsichord, a cat and a owl.[1] The couple were introduced to Jonathan Swift at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin in 1725. Swift enjoyed their company immensely, and he sought to benefit them in 1730 with the monies from a Miscellany of Irish wit that was never published. At that point, Swift already noted the literary skill of both Pilkingtons, calling them "a little young poetical parson, who has a littler young poetical wife" (Elias 322). Swift continued to try to help the Pilkingtons, and he got Matthew a position as chaplain to the Lord Mayor of London for 1732–1733.

The assignment to London was a turning point for the couple. When Laetitia visited in 1733, she found her husband had become involved in numerous political schemes, been neglecting his clerical duties and also been enjoying the pleasures of the West End.[1] He also claimed to be in love with a Drury Lane Theatre actress, a Mrs Heron. Eager to relieve himself of the burden of a wife, Matthew attempted to lure her in adultery by introducing her to James Worsdale, a painter and rake. Matthew organised a weekend visit to Windsor for his wife and Worsdale. Laetitia spent the carriage ride there fighting off Worsdale's hands and ended up barricading herself in her hotel room before after a morning sightseeing the next day she made it back to London with her honour intact.[1]

Her correspondence shows that she was introduced to the Grub Street hacks who made up the political and fashionable journalistic literary world, and she noted that Worsdale employed a number of worthy wits to furnish him with poetry that he could claim, including Henry Carey.

In 1734, Matthew Pilkington was arrested for his politically maladroit actions and sent back to Dublin, his wife travelling back with him. Worsdale soon followed them and joined the Dublin Hell-Fire Club. In another attempt to rid himself of her, her husband encouraged the young poet William Hammond to make advances on her.[1]

By 1737 Laetitia was thoroughly sick of her husband's behaviour, and now considered herself to have released her from her marriage vows. Attracted to a young surgeon, Robert Adair (who would later be surgeon general of England), they began an affair. Eventually Matthew caught her alone in her bedroom with Adair after breaking down the door (despite it being unlocked) in the presence of twelve witnesses.[2] He immediately banished her from the house at two in the morning, without being able to see her children, given no money, nor allowed to take any possessions.[2] Her husband was triumphant, as he now had a excuse for a divorce on the grounds of infidelity.[1] The two divorced in great bitterness, and the divorce which was granted by a Dublin court in February 1738 cost Laetitia money as well as the friendship of Jonathan Swift who damned her as the most profligate whore in either kingdom.[2] Adair also didn't stand by her.

She began to write and sell her productions at this juncture. She sold Worsdale poetry that he could claim for himself. Also in 1737, she wrote a feminist prologue for Worsdale's A Cure for a Scold as well as a performed but unpublished opera farce called No Death but Marriage.

To escape her suitors and fame, she moved to London in 1739 arriving there with three guineas to her name. During the journey she had been propositioned first by a wealthy rake who wanted her to be his mistress and later by a Welsh clergyman.[1] She took up residence under the name of "Mrs. Meade".

In London, Colley Cibber, the old and wealthy poet laureate began an acquaintance with her and began advising her on how to make money from the press, as he had previously done with his Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber, Comedian. She took up lodgings opposite White's, which was an exclusive club in St James and engaged in witty combat with those of its members as they stood around outside.[2] This lead to her obtaining her work as the in-house wit and writer for club members. She also sold verse to Cibber's friends to pass off as their own. In 1739 Dodsley published her long poem The Statues: or, The Trial of Constancy. A Tale for the Ladies, which was about male sexual inconstancy. She lived commission to commission and with little money she was arrested in 1742 for a two pound debt and in October of that year was imprisoned for three months in the Marshalsea gaol. Her financial crisis worsened as she attempted to pay the costs of her imprisonment during which she struggled to pay for her food. She wrote to numerous requests for help with Cibber was able to arrange sixteen dukes to send her a guinea each. Further assistance came from an Dr Delany, an Irish acquaintance who sent her 12 guineas with instruction that she could collect it from his printer Samuel Richardson, who was also a successful novelist.[1]

Upon her release from prison she approached Richardson at his home and was invited in for lunch and dinner. As well as passing on Delany's money Richardson also contributed two guineas of his own and encouraged her.[1] Richardson was to later consult with her on aspects of his novel Clarissa. Richardson gave her assistance on the occasions when the print and pamphlet store Pilkington had established was robbed, her home was burgled, her daughter Elizabeth turned up pregnant and penniless and later when her son John arrived with nothing to his name.

In 1743, she began seeking, on Cibber's advice, subscribers for her Memoirs. Matthew Pilkington worked hard to ensure that the Memoirs would find no home and as a result no London publisher would accept the work. Indeed, most of the book sellers and publishers, as well as many of the notables of the day, were afraid of their publication and afraid of having their private foibles exposed to the public. Even Richardson, who had been a benefactor of hers would not publish the work.

Deciding she had no future in London, Laetitia with Richardson's financial assistance moved back to Dublin in May 1747. With the manuscript of her memoirs barely begun, little money and in poor health she was nevertheless able to quickly attract the attention of the wealthy 23 year old Irish rake Sir Robert King (who soon became Lord Kingsborough) by sending to his town house a general-purpose eulogy praising him.[2] Pleased with what she had written he soon began financially supporting both her and her son John. John however couldn’t resist bragging about the relationship and a rumor reached King that the Pilkingtons had spoken disrespectfully of him, and that the son had boasted that he would print King’s letters to Laetitia in halfpenny sheets and have them read out in the streets. Kingsborough arrived at Laetitia's residence demanding his letters back but she managed to retain her wits and handed over to him a small number, which he took, telling her to find the rest and have them ready for his messenger to collect them next morning. As the letters had value mother and son spent the rest of the day and most of the night copying the remainder before returning the originals.[2]

The first two volumes of the Memoirs appeared in 1748, and a third volume was unfinished at her death, although her son, John Carteret Pilkington, had it published in 1754.

Laetitia died on 29 July 1750, most likely of a bleeding ulcer, and was buried in Dublin.

Some years after her death her son John published Sir Robert King’s letters in an appendix to his autobiography, The Real Story of John Carteret Pilkington.