What Did Edgar Allan Poe’s Mother Do for a Living?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 31, 2020

Edgar Allan Poe’s mother, Elizabeth Arnold Poe, was an English-born American actress. She died of tuberculosis on December 8, 1811, when Edgar was 2 years old. He was adopted and raised by John and Frances Allan.

Elizabeth Arnold was born in 1787 and moved to the United States in 1796. She married Charles Hopkins in 1802 when she was 15. After he died, she married David Poe, and they would have three children: William Henry Leonard, born on January 30, 1807; Edgar, born on January 19, 1809; and Rosalie, born on December 20, 1810. David died on October 19, 1811, less than 2 months before Elizabeth. William was sent to live with his grandparents, while Rosalie went to live with another family and Edgar was adopted by the Allans.