[1] In her teenage years she married Matthew Pilkington in 1725, a priest in the Church of Ireland, who bought to the marriage all of his worldly possessions, a harpsichord, a cat, and an owl.

Swift assisted the Pilkingtons, and helped Matthew attain a position as chaplain to the Lord Mayor of London for 1732–1733.

When Laetitia visited in 1733, she found her husband had become involved in numerous political schemes, neglected his clerical duties, and enjoyed the pleasures of the West End.

In another attempt to rid himself of her, Matthew encouraged the young poet William Hammond to make advances on her.

[2] Their divorce was granted by a Dublin court in February 1738, and cost Laetitia money, her friendship with Swift who damned her "as the most profligate whore in either kingdom", and Adair.

In 1737, she wrote a feminist prologue for Worsdale's A Cure for a Scold as well as a performed but unpublished opera farce called No Death but Marriage.

She took up lodgings opposite White's, an exclusive club in St James and engaged in witty combat with members that stood outside.

She wrote to numerous requests for help with Cibber was able to arrange sixteen dukes to send her a guinea each.

Patrick Delany, an Irish acquaintance who sent her twelve guineas with instruction that she could collect it from his printer and novelist Samuel Richardson.

With the manuscript of her memoirs barely begun, little money, and in poor health, she caught the attention of Robert King (who soon became Lord Kingsborough) by sending a general-purpose eulogy praising him to his town house.