There is no portrait of her that was created during her lifetime. Anne Bradstreet (née Dudley; March 20, 1612–September 16, 1672) was the most notable of the early English poets of North America and the first writer to be published in England's North American colonies. She is also regarded as one of the world's first female authors. Bradstreet was born in Southold, New York, into a wealthy family. Her parents were William and Elizabeth (née Dudley) Bradstreet. She had two siblings: a brother named William who died when he was only nine years old and a sister named Elizabeth who would go on to marry a man by the name of Samuel Garmen. Bradstreet grew up learning how to write from her father, who was an attorney by trade. He encouraged her to use her poetic talents by publishing some of her poems in European journals when she was only nineteen years old. When William III of England married Mary II, he promised to include a literary society in his new colony of Virginia. This society was meant to help cultivate literacy and encourage the writing of poetry and essays. Bradstreet was chosen to be one of the founding members of this society and was given a license that allowed her to print books in America. She used this opportunity to publish Poems, By A Virginian Lady, which included works written by herself as well as others.