Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

Death: 7th October 1849
Location: Old Westminster Burial Ground, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland, USA
Photo taken by: AndrewHorne
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American short story writer and poet, best remembered for his macabre tales and credited as an originator of the genre of detective fiction.  Poe’s work has had a widespread impact on world literature and several of his stories have inspired films.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts he was sent to live in Richmond, Virginia when both of his parents died before he was two years old. He began studying at the University of Virginia in 1826 but only remained there for a year. He fell out with his foster father after he got into debt through gambling. In 1827 he enlisted in the Army where he remained for two years before being discharged. He moved to Baltimore to live with his widowed aunt and his cousin, Virginia Clemm. 
In 1836 Poe married Virginia, who was thirteen years old. In 1842 Virginia became ill with tuberculosis and Poe started to drink heavily to cope, eventually becoming unstable after the death of his wife in 1847. In 1849 Poe was found delirious and wandering the streets, he was taken to hospital where he died.  The exact cause of his death has been cause for debate with various theories, such as tuberculosis, syphilis and even rabies being suggested.

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