Person    | Male  Born 19/1/1809  Died 7/10/1849

Edgar Allan Poe

Categories: Literature, Seriously Famous

Countries: USA

Author and poet. Born Edgar Poe in Boston, Massachusetts, he added Allan to his name in honour of the family who took him in after his father absconded and his mother died. Lived in London from 1815 to 1820, where he was educated at the Manor House School in Stoke Newington. Returning to the USA, he had a brief military career before concentrating on writing. Some of his best known works are 'The Fall of the House of Usher', 'Murders in the Rue Morgue' and the poem 'The Raven'. His death, aged only 40, was as mysterious as some of his works. He was found on the streets of Baltimore in a 'dire' condition, wearing clothes which were not his own and calling out the name 'Reynolds'. He was taken to the Washington Medical College where he died shortly afterwards. 

The Baltimore Post-Examiner gives some details of Poe's time in Britain. In Your Area has an etching of a house captioned 'House in Stoke Newington where Edgar Allan Poe Lived' but we can't see how it could be the site where the plaques now are.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Edgar Allan Poe

Commemorated ati

Edgar Allan Poe - N16 - Bust

Here is a  video of the unveiling.

Read More

Edgar Allan Poe - N16 - Plaque 1

Edgar Allan Poe, 1809 - 1849, writer and poet, was a pupil at the Manor House...

Read More

Edgar Allan Poe - N16 - Plaque 2

Poe Unveiled by Steven Berkoff on 4 June 2011. The Flicker Club The Edgar All...

Read More

Other Subjects

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Novelist. Born in Salem, Massachusetts. His ancestor was John Hathorne, the only judge involved in the Salem witch trials who never repented of his actions. Nathaniel added a 'w' to his name in ord...

Person, Literature, Seriously Famous, USA

1 memorial
Hugh Walpole

Hugh Walpole

Novelist. Born Hugh Seymour Walpole in Auckland, New Zealand. He was educated in Britain and became a schoolmaster before turning to authorship. His novels include 'Mr Perrin and Mr Traill', 'The D...

Person, Literature, New Zealand

1 memorial
Mervyn Peake

Mervyn Peake

Artist and writer. Born Mervyn Laurence Peake at Kuling in the province of Kiang-Hsi, China. His missionary parents returned to England in 1922.  He attended Eltham College and then completed his e...

Person, Art, Literature, Channel Islands, China/Hong Kong

1 memorial
Simon Callow

Simon Callow

Actor, director, writer. Born Streatham.  

Person, Cinema, Literature, Theatre, TV & Radio

4 memorials
Dr. John William Polidori

Dr. John William Polidori

This entry has kindly been written for us by Franklin Bishop, expert on Polidori, and editor of "John William Polidori ‘The Vampyre’ and other writings", 2005. Polidori wrote The Vampyre, a novell...

Person, Literature, Italy, Scotland, Switzerland

1 memorial