Editing Celia Thaxter (section)

==Early years and education==
Celia Laighton was born in [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire|Portsmouth]], New Hampshire, June 29, 1835, but the family moved soon after to the [[Isles of Shoals]], first on [[White and Seavey Islands|White Island]], where her father, Thomas Laighton, was a [[lighthouse keeper]] of the [[Isles of Shoals Light]], and then on [[Smuttynose Island|Smuttynose]] and [[Appledore Island]]s. The gradual addition of summer visitors to the fishing population came slowly, Thaxter's father being the first to establish anything like a modern hotel.{{sfn|Holloway|1889|p=263}}

The means of education were comparatively remote, and the permanent society of the islands for the greater part of the year offered very limited resources for a bright child.{{sfn|Holloway|1889|p=263}} During the period of 1849–1850, she attended Mount Washington Female Seminary in [[South Boston]].{{sfn|Radcliffe College|1971|p=442}}