One wonders if he had to try hard to persuade his ‘dearest friend’ to actually sit for Thorvaldsen as the first meeting between the artist and Byron was one of wry amusement on the part of one and studied indifference by the other…
And one glorious afternoon in October I took a stroll through this fabulous cemetery to the grave of Byron’s spouse…
More than 228 years have now passed since that ‘involuntary Act of coming into the World’ for May 17 is the birthday of Anne Isabella, Lady Noel Byron, the Poet’s ‘Princess of Parallelograms’ and the woman he later said was ‘born for my destruction.’
Born on Ascension Day in 1792 in County Durham, she was the cherished only child of Sir Ralph and the Hon. Judith Milbanke who had lived through a marriage of over 15 years, childlessness and hope in anticipation of the arrival of their ‘’little angel’…
“Oh! my God! how has my poor Child been sacrificed! not only to a wicked, but unmanly Creature!”
The agitated author of this letter was the Hon. Judith Noel in the dying days of January 1816 as the marriage separation between her beloved only daughter and Lord Byron became increasingly acrimonious and as the latter prepared for a life in exile far away from the marital home of 13 Piccadilly Terrace in London.
However, Judith was QUITE mistaken in her distraught prediction about her ‘poor child’s’ imminent demise…
With her Scottish ancestry for omens and superstition perhaps Catherine’s confusion is understandable for she did indeed marry ‘Mad Jack’ Byron on Friday May 13 AND by all accounts their brief marriage was a disaster!
Perhaps the poem ‘Don Leon’ FINALLY offers us a tantalising hint of what happened all those years ago?
Accused of being “Unreasonable – most excited – most irritated – changing however from storm to sunshine at every moment” – Elizabeth Medora Leigh would finally succeed in alienating herself from all who could offer her protection…
The author of this missive is one Elizabeth Medora Leigh writing about the kindness of her aunt Lady Byron who had just informed her that her father was none other than the celebrated poet AND uncle, Lord Byron.
Born on this day April 15 in 1814, Elizabeth Medora was the fourth child of the Hon. Augusta Mary Byron and Colonel George Leigh and arguably THE most notorious…
Educated, attractive and with a talent for ambition – Elizabeth Milbanke would soon move away from provincial Yorkshire and become one of the most celebrated Society Hostesses on behalf of the Whig Party…
Lady B’s desire to be ‘securely separated’ from her spouse was reaching an increasingly bitter, fraught and heart breaking conclusion.
On St Patrick’s Day in 1814 – it is likely that Byron would also have enjoyed some alcohol consumption during the course of the day; however, as delightful as the idea is, we cannot be sure if he actually ‘pinched’ anyone.
In January 1816 having left her spouse Annabella returned to the protection of her parents.
Amused much?
On Sunday March 15, Annabella having dined at Melbourne House and with no allusion to either the fashions worn nor to the food enjoyed treated her mother with observations on the character of her cousin by marriage, Lady Caroline Lamb…
By autumn 1815 and as the bailiff beckoned along with the sale of his precious library – he got drunk AND frequently!
A Regency Recondite 