Mrs. J. H. Riddell

Born Charlotte Eliza Lawson Cowan in Carrickfergus, Ireland, on September 30, 1832, she became widely known as Mrs. J. H. Riddell after her marriage and also published under the pen name F. G. Trafford. After her father's death, she moved to London, where she built a remarkable literary career.

She went on to write dozens of novels and stories and became especially noted for two strengths: sharp fiction about the financial and professional world of Victorian London, and memorable supernatural tales. That mix helped make her one of the better-known popular writers of her day.

Riddell was also involved in literary publishing as part-owner and editor of St. James's Magazine in the 1860s. She died in London on September 24, 1906, but her ghost stories in particular have kept attracting new readers ever since.