Anna's maiden name was Aikin. She was born on March 22, 1788, in East Hoathly, Sussex, England, and grew up in a close-knit family of six siblings. Anna's father, John, was a carpenter and her mother, Mary, was a homemaker. Anna received a basic education at a local dame school before her family moved to London when she was 12 years old.
Unraveling the Legacy of Anna Laetitia Barbauld: A Quiz on the English Author's Life and Works