[Mrs. Lean]. English novelist, born at Brighton, Sussex, England; daughter of Captain Frederick Maryatt; educated at home, and began writing in 1865. She was also an operatic singer and comedy actress. She was married first to Ross Church and later to Francis Lean. She wrote Love’s Conflict (1865); Tom Tiddler’s Ground (1886); A Fatal Silence (1891); The Hampstead Mystery (1894); and a book dealing with Spiritualism, in which she took much interest, entitled There is No Death (1891). She also contributed constantly to newspapers and magazines, and in 1872 was made editor of London Society.
