Last year, on the 211th anniversary of Poe’s birth, my predecessor gathered some wonderful facts about the amazing and mysterious life of Edgar Allan Poe. This year, to celebrate his glorious and sometimes spooky life, I thought I’d share some of the fascinating details that surround his untimely passing in 1849.

1. No death certificate was ever filed after his death, so the actual cause of death was never officially established.

2.  When Poe was found, befuddled and beaten on the streets of Baltimore he was wearing clothes that were obviously not his own. This has led to theories that he’d been “cooped” a form of election fraud in which a person was drugged or given copious amounts of alcohol and forced to vote multiple times. Each time before returning to the polls, the victim’s clothes would be swapped and different types of disguise applied.

3.  When Poe died, his brother did not immediately announce his death. His funeral was only attended by seven people. Many of those seven people collected locks of Poe’s hair as memorial souvenirs. They are highly valued collectors items now.

4.  Poe died ten days before he was to be married to Elmira Royston Shelton. Poe and Shelton had been sweethearts when young, but did not marry then. Elmira was the inspiration for several poems written by Poe. When she died many years later, she was recognized as Poe’s “First and last love.” Some scholars theorize that her brothers are responsible for beating and drugging Poe to keep him from marrying their sister.

5.  Some of what you think you know about Poe might not be true. When Poe died, his obituary was written by his enemy Rufus Wilmer Griswold. Later, Griswold would go on to forge letters and make up tales about Poe to make him sound like a horrible person, a drunkard, and opium addict.

If you are as big a fan of Poe as Jeanne (and myself), you might want to head over to our Facebook and Instagram pages to enter in to our Poe giveaway! We’re randomly selecting one winner to receive a Poe print, a coaster set, and a Poe-themed candle! The winner will be announced on the anniversary of Poe’s birthday - January 19, 2021.