Early Life and Family Background Born in Bath, England, in 1814, Fanny McIan entered a world defined by the practicalities of skilled craftsmanship. She was the daughter of William Whitaker, a cabinetmaker, and Sarah Hawkins. Following the death of her father, her mother took up work as an upholsterer, maintaining the household through manual labor. These early years in a working family provided a foundation of industry and tactile skill, though the specific details of her childhood remain largely unrecorded. The trajectory of her life shifted significantly in 1831. At about sixteen years o…