Anna Cora Mowatt

Anna Cora Mowatt Ritchie (1819–1870) was an author, playwright, public reader, and actress. Anna Cora Ogden was born in Bordeaux, France, March 5, 1819. She was the tenth of fourteen children. Her father was Samuel Gouveneur Ogden (1779–1860), an American merchant. Her mother was Eliza Lewis Ogden (1785–1836), granddaughter of Francis Lewis, a signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence. In 1826, when Anna was six years old, the Ogden family returned to the United States. She attended private schools but was primarily educated at home. From a young age she was encouraged to read and showed a passion for writing and acting. On October 6, 1834, at age 15, Anna Cora Ogden eloped with James Mowatt (1805–1849), a prominent and...