Rosina Bulwer-Lytton’s Blighted Life (Part 1)

Jun 23, 2025

Discover the tumultuous life of Rosina Bulwer-Lytton, marked by a chaotic and abusive marriage to Edward. Explore her struggle for autonomy amid societal expectations of 19th-century women, alongside her mother’s pioneering advocacy for women's rights. Dive into the emotional intricacies of sibling rivalry and the impact of family dynamics on Rosina’s development. Uncover how her hardships shaped her literary voice and quest for independence, all while navigating a world that often silenced women.

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INSIGHT

Women’s Legal Invisiblity in 1800s UK

Women in 19th century Britain had no independent legal status and were treated like children under the law.
Feminists like Anna Doyle Wheeler advocated for women's rights and equality through cooperative socialism and literature.

ANECDOTE

Edward’s Embarrassing Love Letters

Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote adorably cringy love letters to Rosina with baby talk and nicknames.
His literary talents contrasted with his anxious attempts to gain his mother's approval for their marriage.

ANECDOTE

Edward’s Early Abuse During Pregnancy

Edward physically abused Rosina during her pregnancy by kicking her for refusing to get a book from a ladder.
Rosina suffered emotional distress when their daughter was sent to a wet nurse to free her time for Edward's writing.

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Appeal of One Half of the Human Race, Women, Against the Pretensions of the Other Half, Men, to retain them in political, and hence in civil and domestic, slavery, in reply to a paragraph of Mr. Mills' celebrated article on government

A Guide to Navigating the AI Revolution

Anna Wheeler

William Thompson

The Last Days of Pompeii

Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton

Edward Bulwer-Lytton's 'The Last Days of Pompeii' is a historical novel that vividly depicts life in the Roman city of Pompeii before its destruction in 79 AD. The novel intertwines the lives of various characters, including Glaucus, a noble Athenian, and Arbaces, an Egyptian sorcerer, amidst the backdrop of political intrigue and hedonistic culture. As Mount Vesuvius looms ominously, the characters grapple with love, betrayal, and spiritual awakening. Bulwer-Lytton's meticulous research and dramatic storytelling create a compelling narrative that captures the opulence and decadence of Pompeii. The book explores themes of fate, morality, and the transience of human existence.

Paul Clifford

Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton

Edward Bulwer-Lytton's 'Paul Clifford' is a novel set against the backdrop of early 19th-century England, intertwining themes of social injustice, romance, and crime. The story follows the life of Paul Clifford, an orphaned boy who becomes a notorious highwayman, challenging the corrupt societal structures of his time. Through vivid descriptions and intricate plotting, Bulwer-Lytton critiques the penal system and explores the moral ambiguities of his characters. The novel is also famous for its melodramatic prose and the often-parodied opening line. It remains a significant work in Victorian literature, reflecting the era's concerns with social reform and the complexities of human nature.

Falkland

Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton

After a difficult childhood, Rosina Bulwer-Lytton landed in a marriage that quickly turned chaotic and stressful, and then became abusive. Part one covers the period of her life up to their separation.

Research:

“A Scene at the Hertfordshire Election.” The Tiverton Gazette. 6/29/1858. https://www.newspapers.com/image/803824054/
Blain, Virginia. “Rosina Bulwer Lytton and the Rage of the Unheard.” Huntington Library Quarterly , Summer, 1990, Vol. 53, No. 3. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3817439
Brown, Andrew. "Lytton, Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer [formerly Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer], first Baron Lytton (1803–1873), writer and politician." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. September 23, 2004. Oxford University Press. Date of access 4 Jun. 2025, https://www-oxforddnb-com.proxy.bostonathenaeum.org/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-17314
Bulwer-Lytton, Rosina. “Lady Bulwer Lytton's Appeal to the Justice and Charity of the English Public.” By and For the Author. 1857.
Devey, Louisa, editor. “Letters of the late Edward Bulwer, lord Lytton, to his wife.” New York : G. W. Dillingham. 1889.
Devey, Louisa. “Life of Rosina, Lady Lytton: With Numerous Extracts from Her Ms. Autobiography and Other Original Documents.” London, Swan Sonnschein, Lowery & Co. 1887.
Flynn, Michael J. “Dickens, Rosina Bulwer Lytton, and the ‘Guilt’ of Literature and Art.” Dickens Quarterly, March 2012, Vol. 29, No. 1 (March 2012). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45292582
King, Cornelia. “Getting Even: The Mighty Pen of Lady Bulwer Lytton.” The Library Company of Philadelphia. 5/10/2022. https://librarycompany.org/2022/05/10/getting-even/
Latané, D.E. “Edward Bulwer Lytton’s committal of his wife Rosina to a private mental asylum in 1858.” Victorian Web. https://victorianweb.org/authors/bulwer/latane.html
McFadden, Margaret. “Anna Doyle Wheeler (1785-1848): Philosopher, Socialist, Feminist.” Hypatia, vol. 4, no. 1, 1989, pp. 91–101. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3809936. Accessed 3 June 2025.
Mulvey-Roberts, Marie. "Fame, notoriety and madness: Edward Bulwer-Lytton paying the price of greatness." Critical Survey, vol. 13, no. 2, May 2001, pp. 115+. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A80191856/LitRC?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=2669a158. Accessed 27 May 2025.
Mulvey-Roberts, Marie. "Lytton, Rosina Anne Doyle Bulwer [née Rosina Anne Doyle Wheeler], Lady Lytton (1802–1882), novelist." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. October 08, 2009. Oxford University Press. Date of access 28 May. 2025, https://www-oxforddnb-com.proxy.bostonathenaeum.org/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-17316
Mulvey-Roberts, Marie. “‘The Very Worst Woman I Ever Heard of’: Rosina Bulwer Lytton and Biography as Vindication.” Women's Writing, 25:2, 253-267, DOI: 10.1080/09699082.2017.1387338

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