Susannah Gunning was born in Somerset, a county in the southwest of England near the city of Bath on December 31, 1740 (“Gunning, Susannah”). She was born to a member of the clergy, James Minifie, who was based in Staplegrove, Sommerset. Susannah would later marry John Gunning, the son of members of the Irish Aristocracy and future lieutenant general, in 1768 (Perkins).  

In 1763 when Gunning was 23 years of age, she co-wrote and published her first work of fiction entitled The Histories of Lady Frances S-, and Lady Caroline S- in four volumes with her sister, Margret Minfie (Minifie and Gunning). In 1768, the year of her marriage to John, Gunning published the first edition of her novel Barford Abbey, an epistolatory novel in which the characters exchange letters that discuss the romance lives of two high-class women. In 1771, Gunning published a second edition of Barford Abbey through George Robinson, John Roberts, and Thomas Cadell as well as The Hermit  (Gunning, Barford Abbey, a Novel: In a Series of Letters. The Second Edition. In Two Volumes.). The Hermit was written in the style of the traditional fiction work that contained chapters. However, Gunning published The Hermit under her maiden name, Minifie (Gunning, “The Hermit. A Novel. By Miss Minifies. The Second Edition. In Two Volumes.”).  

Gunning was embroiled in a controversy in the last ten years of life. Her daughter, Elizabeth Gunning, claimed to be engaged to the Marquess of Blandford and later, was alleged to be in love with the Marquess of Lorne. Both alleged engagements were contained in forged letters. Susannah Gunning published a pamphlet that in defense of her daughter that portrayed John as the one behind the accusations. The pamphlet claimed that John tried to disgrace Elizabeth’s name in order to get around dowry payments. The pamphlet seems to have been discredited by many readers saw it as foolish. This led to John, in 1791, abandoning Susannah and Elizabeth who had no support (Perkins). This caused a scandal in London that Susannah and Elizabeth fled from to France.

While in France, Susannah published Anecdotes of the Delborough Family in 1792 and the following year, Memoirs of Mary. Both novels were based loosely on her daughter’s story. The plot of Memoirs of Mary contains a young women who has two lovers who abandon her with forged letters. However, the scandal remerged, in 1792, when he eloped with his mistress to Naples to avoid paying a £5000 fine.

Susannah Gunning died on August 28, 1800 from a disease at the age of sixty. Her work was remembered highly praised by her contemporary male literary critics in the Gentleman’s Magazine. She is buried at Westminster Abbey (Perkins).