Cooter, Eliza

Born at Lewes, Suffolk; at age 6, became blind from "water in the head", very soon after also suffering a paralysis of the legs. The following year her hearing also began to decline until becoming totally deaf. Her paralysis also progressed until eventually only her right hand still had any control. She was able to communicate with the aid of "Moon's raised alphabet" and appears also to have learned (British) fingerspelling at some stage. Poems and a book were written about her; she was buried in Brighton Cemetary.