 Mitford spent the rest of his life in London, making a living from writing and editing and by all accounts living a hand-to-mouth existence.In 1818 he produced a book of verse, "The poems of a British sailor", some of which had been written when he was at sea and others while he was working for Bridget Perceval.The same year saw the publication (under the pseudonym of Alfred Burton) of Mitford's most famous work