Lady Charlotte Bury facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lady Charlotte Bury
Lady Charlotte Campbell by Tischbein, 1789.
Born	Charlotte Susan Maria Campbell (1775-01-28)28 January 1775 London, England
Died	1 April 1861(1861-04-01) (aged 86) London, England
Nationality	English
Occupation	Novelist
Notable work	Diary illustrative of the Times of George IV (1838)
Spouse(s)	John Campbell ​ ​ (m. 1796; died 1809)​ Edward John Bury ​ ​ (m. 1818; died 1832)​
Children	11, including: Walter Frederick Campbell Eliza Maria, Lady Gordon-Cumming Harriet Bury, Countess of Charleville
Parent(s)	John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll Elizabeth Gunning

Lady Charlotte Susan Maria Bury (born Campbell; January 28, 1775 – April 1, 1861) was an English writer. She is best known for a diary that shared stories about the time of King George IV.

Lady Charlotte's Life Story

Lady Charlotte Susan Maria Campbell was the youngest child of Field Marshal John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll. Her mother was Elizabeth Gunning. Elizabeth was the second daughter of John Gunning. She was also the widow of James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton. Lady Charlotte was born in London at Argyll House, on Oxford Street.

Early Life and Interests

When she was young, Lady Charlotte was known for her beauty and charm. This made her very popular in society. She loved "belles-lettres", which means beautiful writing. She also knew many famous writers of her time. One of these was the young Walter Scott. Scott even met another writer, "Monk" Lewis, at one of her parties. When she was 22, she published a book of poems. She did not use her name on the book.

Marriages and Family Life

On June 14, 1796, she married Colonel John Campbell. He was a Member of Parliament. They had nine children together. Sadly, only two of her children lived longer than she did. Colonel Campbell passed away in 1809.

Lady Charlotte married a second time on March 17, 1818. Her second husband was Reverend Edward John Bury. They had two daughters. Reverend Bury passed away in 1832.

Working for the Royal Family

After her first husband died in 1809, Lady Charlotte became a Lady-in-Waiting. This meant she helped in the household of Caroline of Brunswick, who was the Princess of Wales. It is believed that Lady Charlotte kept a diary. In this diary, she wrote about the daily life and people at the royal court.

The Famous Diary of George IV's Time

The diary was later published without the author's name. It was called Diary illustrative of the Times of George IV. The book came out in two volumes in 1838. Two more volumes were added in 1839. People thought the diary showed a deep knowledge of the royal court. This made them believe Lady Charlotte wrote it.

The diary became very popular. Many copies were sold quickly. Even though Lady Charlotte did not say she wrote it, people believed she did. Public libraries even listed the book under her name. The diary also included a rare description of the poet and artist William Blake.

However, some parts of the diary made people wonder if Lady Charlotte really wrote it. For example, one part of the diary mentions "Lady Charlotte Campbell told me..." This suggests the person writing the diary was talking about Lady Charlotte, not being Lady Charlotte. This makes the true author of the diary a bit of a mystery!

Lady Charlotte passed away on March 31, 1861, in London.

Lady Charlotte's Published Works

Lady Charlotte wrote many books. Many of them were first published without her name. But people often knew she was the writer. Here is a list of her known writings:

• Poems on several Occasions, by a Lady (1797)
• Self-indulgence : a tale of the nineteenth century. (1812)
• Conduct is fate. (1822)
• Alla Giornata, or To the Day (1826)
• Flirtation (1828)
• A Marriage in High Life (1828)
• The Exclusives (1830)
• The Separation (1830)
• Journal of the Heart (1830)
• The three great sanctuaries of Tuscany, Valombrosa, Camaldoli, Laverna: : a poem, with historical and legendary notices (1833)
• The Disinherited and the Ensnared (1834)
• Journal of the Heart second series (1835)
• The Devoted (1836)
• Love (1837)
• Memoirs of a Peeress, or the days of Fox (1837)
• Ellen Glanville (1838)
• Diary illustrative of the Times of George the Fourth (1838-1839)
• The Divorced (1837)
• The History Of A Flirt. Related By Herself (1840)
• Family Records, or the Two Sisters (1841)
• The Manoeuvring Mother. (1842)
• The Wilfulness of Woman. (1844)
• The Roses. (1853)
• The lady of fashion (1856)
• The Two Baronets (1864)

Lady Charlotte's Children

A portrait of one of Lady Charlotte's daughters by Charles Lock Eastlake.

Lady Charlotte had children with her first husband, Colonel John Campbell:

• Walter Frederick (1798–1855): He was a Member of Parliament and inherited the island of Islay.
• John George (1800–1830)
• Eliza Maria (1795–1842): She was a palaeontologist, someone who studies fossils.
• Eleanora (died 1828)
• Harriet Charlotte Beaujolais (1801–1848): She was also a writer.
• Emma
• Adelaide
• Julia