ABSTRACT
Among the most noteworthy philanthropists of the nineteenth century was Lady Angela Burdett-Coutts, who, after inheriting an immense family fortune, devoted her efforts and considerable resources to bettering the lives of less fortunate Victorians. Through her own initiative and in collaboration with others, she established schools and orphanages, refurbished churches, contributed to foreign aid societies, and funded numerous public works projects. Her benevolence was so renowned and her altruism so venerated that she was made a life peer on her own merit. Upon her death in 1906, King Edward VII declared her second only to his mother (Queen Victoria) as the “most remarkable woman in the kingdom.” Regardless, all was not so pleasant or uplifting for Angela as she endured a number of personal tribulations. Most notably, for a portion of her young life, she was the victim of a stalker and serial extortionist named Richard Dunn. Called the “Irish annoyance,” Dunn preyed upon Angela, sending a constant stream of letters, tracking her movements, and falsely claiming she owed him money. The heinous affair went on for nearly two decades and involved several court cases that repeatedly failed to put an end to things. Despite criminal and civil penalties levied against Dunn, he continually evaded harsher sentencing and persisted in his harassment to the distress of Angela and the alarm of the British public.
