Respected American author Donna Lucey will tell the fascinating story of Elizabeth Chanler - an American heir to the Astor fortune who was orphaned while she was an eleven year old student at the school in The Pitts at Bonchurch run by Victorian educational pioneer Elizabeth Sewell.

Later Elizabeth led a very colourful and eventful life and had her portrait painted by the respected American painter John Singer Sargent.

Elizabeth's life story forms part of Donna's new book 'Sargent's Women' copies of which will be available at the talk.