|
Year
|
Date
|
Chronology Entry
|
| 1814 |
September 9 |
To Byron's surprise, Annabella accepts his second offer
of marriage. Lady Melbourne is pleased. The fiancés
write daily. |
| September 21 |
Byron returns to London to prepare for his wedding,
specifically to arrange his financial affairs in such as
way as to allow a proper marriage settlement.
Augusta returns to Six Mile Bottom.
|
| October 5 |
On an anonymous report, the Morning Chronicle
contradicts the engagement announcement that appeared in
the Durham paper.
Byron suspects Caroline Lamb.
|
| October 7 |
Hanson returns to London after the marriage of his son,
Lord Portsmouth, but travels unexpectedly to Devon.
Byron complains that Hanson has put off their meeting
for 5 weeks.
|
| October 17 |
Byron asks Hobhouse to be his groomsman. |
| October 27 |
Byron writes Annabella that he will be travelling to
Durham to visit her. |
| October 29 |
Byron leaves for Durham to visit Annabella, but stops at
Six Mile Bottom on the way for a day-long visit, then goes on
to Newstead. |
| November 2-6 |
Byron visits Annabella at Seaham.
Though Annabella wishes for a large wedding, Byron
insists on a private ceremony.
|
| November 18 |
On his way to Six Mile Bottom, Byron arrives in Cambridge
where he dines with Hodgson. |
| November 23 |
Byron, at Cambridge, casts his vote for Dr. Clarke to the
professorship of anatomy.
Byron and Hobhouse dine with Clarke, then attend a party
with Davies and Henry Matthews.
|
| November 24 |
Byron and Hobhouse are in London. |
| November 26 |
At Drury Lane, Byron sees Kean in Macbeth. |
| December 2 |
At Kinnaird's, Byron and Hobhouse dine privately with
Kean. |
| ? |
Since Hanson has not yet dealt with the financial affairs,
Byron remains unable to set a date for the wedding.
Hanson promises to be available in ten days.
|
| December ? |
When Byron learns that Claughton will not purchase
Newstead, he proposes to Annabella that they postpone the
wedding. Byron's insistence that they will be poor until
Newstead is sold leaves her unconcerned. |
| December 18 |
Byron writes that he will leave London for Durham on the
24th--if he does not have to be a witness in the lunacy trial
of Lord Portsmouth. |
| December 24 |
Byron and Hobhouse set out for London in the afternoon.
Byron visits Colonel Leigh and Augusta at Six Mile
Bottom; Hobhouse stays at Cambridge.
Byron considers calling off the marriage.
|
| December 25 |
Byron picks Hobhouse up in Cambridge around 3 p. m.; they
travel only so far as Wansford that night.
Hobhouse writes in his journal: "Never was a bridegroom
less in haste" (503).
|
| December 26 |
Byron and Hobhouse set out for Durham. |
| December 27 |
Byron and Hobhouse arrive at Newark.
Byron confesses to Hobhouse both his distaste for
marrying before his financial affairs are arranged and his
belief--though uncertain of his love for Annabella--that
marriage is the surest road to happiness.
The pair read Murray's new edition of Gibbon.
|
| December 28 |
Byron and Hobhouse travel around 27 miles, reaching
Ferrybridge. |
| December 29 |
Byron and Hobhouse travel only a few miles past York, to
Thirsk. |
| December 30, 8 p.m. |
Byron and Hobhouse arrive unannounced at Seaham, their
trip from London having taken a week. |
|
Year
|
Date
|
Chronology Entry
|
| 1815 |
January 2 |
Byron weds Annabella Milbanke at 11 a.m. in the presence of
Hobhouse, her parents, her governess Mrs. Clermont, and two
clergymen.
Lord and Lady Byron spend their honeymoon at the Noel's
estate, Halnaby.
Byron begins the Hebrew Melodies.
|
| January 21 - February 9 |
Byron and Annabella return to Seaham.
Hobhouse tries to arrange Byron's financial affairs in
London, including arranging the lease for a house in
London.
|
| January 22 |
Byron, Annabella and the Noels celebrate Byron's 28th
birthday. |
| February 2 |
Leigh Hunt is released from prison. |
| February 10 |
Byron's financial affairs require him to return to
London, but Annabella refuses to be left behind. |
| February 12 - March 28 |
The pair visit Six Mile Bottom, where Annabella and
Augusta meet for the first time. |
| ? |
Napoleon, having escaped from Elba, lands in France.
Hobhouse plans to travel to France.
|
| March 28 |
The Byrons leave Six Mile Bottom for London.
Once there, they take up the lodging Hobhouse had leased
for them from the Duchess of Devonshire at 13 Piccadilly
Terrace.
|
| NO DATE GIVEN |
Byron renews his acquaintance with literary men in town,
regularly visiting the literary group that met at Murray's.
Murray encourages Byron to publish more of his
poetry.
|
| Early April |
Augusta arrives at Piccadilly Terrace. |
| April 7 |
Murray introduces Byron to Sir Walter Scott.
Byron also meets William Gifford, James Boswell, and
William Sotheby.
|
| April 10 or 11 |
Lord Wentworth, Lady Byron's uncle, falls ill; and
Annabella travels to Seaham to care for him. |
| April 12 |
At the House of Lords, Byron hears debates on Bonaparte's
escape from Elba. |
| April 14 or 15 |
Lady Milbanke finally arrives at Seaham; and, at Byron's
urging, Annabella returns to London. |
| April 15 |
Byron's creditors--encouraged by his recent wedding and his
comfortable lodgings in Piccadilly--begin to bring legal
action to gain payment of his debts.
But appearances are deceiving: Lady Byron's marriage
settlement from her parents barely pays the rent at
Piccadilly Terrace, and the couple's other expenses strain
their financial accounts.
Claughton's payment continues to be delayed.
|
| April 17 |
Lord Wentworth dies. In adherence to his will, the
Milbankes change their name to Noel.
The Kirkby Mallory estate does not produce the expected
7,000 a year, and the Noels are placed in significant
financial difficulty.
Byron too adds the Noel to his name, becoming George
Gordon Noel Byron.
|
| April ? |
Braham and Nathan publish Byron's Hebrew Melodies
with Nathan's musical settings.
Though expensive at a cost of one guinea, over 10,000
copies sell.
By summer, Murray brings out an edition of Byron's
poems, without the musical settings.
|
| May |
At Douglass Kinnaird's request, Byron is appointed a member
of the Management Sub-Committee of the Drury Lane Theatre.
Other members included Lord Essex, George Lamb,
Kinnaird, Peter Moore, and Samuel Whitbread, the theatre
manager.
|
| May 23 |
At the encouragement of Hobhouse, Byron participates in
voting at the House of Lords.
He supports the Whig attempt to censure the Tory
government's part in the Congress of Vienna.
|
| June 20 |
George Ticknor, an American, presents letters of
introduction to Byron who treats him graciously.
Byron receives news of the Battle of Waterloo,
expressing regret that Napoleon was in retreat.
|
| June 21 |
Byron visits Murray's literary salon, participating in
the conversation on the victory at Waterloo. |
| June 25 |
Augusta leaves London. |
| June 26 |
Byron introduces Ticknor to Mrs. Siddons. |
| June 27 |
Ticknor visits the theatre in Byron's private box with
the Byrons and the Noels. |
| July |
Caroline Lamb leaves England.
Her brother Frederick Ponsonby had been wounded at
Waterloo, and Caroline travels to Brussels to help her
mother nurse him.
|
| Early July |
The Noels allow the Byrons the use of Seaham; the Noels
move to the Kirkby Mallory estate. |
| July 6 |
Samuel Whitbread, manager of Drury Lane, dies
unexpectedly. |
| Late July |
Byron learns from Hobhouse the state of Parisian
politics. |
| July 28 |
Byron tries unsuccessfully to sell the Newstead and
Rochdale estates at auction, but is forced to bring them in
when the bidding fails to meet the reserve.
Byron's financial situation grows desperate, and as the
months go on with no relief, Byron becomes moody, angry,
and openly hostile to family. He also turns to drink.
|
| July 29 |
As a result of the Wentworth inheritance, Byron signs a new
will stipulating that after the payment of Annabella's
marriage settlement, the remainder of his estate would go
to Augusta and her children.
The new will supercedes that of Sept. 29, 1813. Hobhouse
and Hanson are named as Byron's executors.
|
| August 30 - September 4 |
Byron visits Augusta at Six Mile Bottom. |
| September 9 |
The autumn season of the Drury Lane Theatre opens. Byron
works to recruit good actors and good scripts.
Despite failures with Sotheby, Thomas Moore, S. T.
Coleridge, and Walter Scott, Byron is able to secure
Charles Maturin's Bertram (which becomes a great
success when it is staged in 1816 ).
|
| NO DATE GIVEN |
Among the actors who perform on the stage during Byron's
tenure on the committee are Kean, Miss Kelley, and Mrs.
Mardyn.
He also tries to engage Mrs. Siddons, but she refuses to
leave Edinburgh.
|
| September 14 |
Byron writes Augusta that he believes Annabella has been
searching through his papers and has broken open his writing
desk. |
| September 26 |
Mrs. Mardyn debuts at Drury Lane in Lovers' Vows;
she becomes a principal of the company. |
| September |
Byron writes Coleridge to secure a new drama. |
| ? |
Byron writes Coleridge of his admiration of
Christabel which he has heard recited by Scott. |
| ? |
Coleridge sends Byron a copy of Christabel; after
reading it, Byron realizes that he has unconsciously
borrowed from it in Siege of Corinth and offers to
omit the lines.
When the poem is published, Byron retains the lines but
offers an explanatory note.
|
| September 28 |
Leigh Hunt sends Byron a copy of Feast of the
Poets, a gift which elicits comments from Byron on
Wordsworth's poetic skill. |
| October 15 |
Byron sends Hunt a copy of English Bards and Scotch
Reviewers. This copy contains the corrections Byron had
intended for the suppressed fifth edition. |
| October 31 |
Byron attends a large dinner with theatrical people,
among them Sheridan, Colman, and Harry Harris of Covent
Garden. |
| November 2 |
Annabella completes her fair copy of Siege of
Corinth. |
| Early November |
Though Byron's properties are worth over 100,000, he
remains unable to sell.
A bailiff enters Byron's house and refuses to leave
until Byron settles his debts.
Having already sold the Newstead furniture to meet
debts, Byron arranges to sell his library as well.
Murray offers 1,500 for the library and an additional
sum for Byron's remaining copyrights; Byron refuses the
money out of pride.
Since maintaining the house at Piccadilly Terrace is
expensive, Byron plans to break up the household there and
move to cheaper accommodations.
|
| Early November |
In reaction to tremendous financial problems at home, Byron
begins a short-lived liaison with a minor actress, Susan
Boyce.
Boyce continues to trouble Byron until he leaves for the
Continent in March, 1816.
|
| November 15 |
Augusta, in response to Annabella's alarming letters,
arrives at Piccadilly Terrace to help manage Byron's moods.
Byron turns his anger on Augusta. |
| NO DATE GIVEN |
Byron completes Parisina. |
| November 18 |
At the Kinnaird's, Byron's heavy drinking leads to a
drunken argument with Alexander Rae, an actor, that stops
just short of a fight.
At home, his rages continue.
Annabella believes him temporarily insane.
|
| Early December |
At the request of Augusta, Mrs. Clermont and George Byron
move into the house on Piccadilly Terrace to offer support to
Annabella during her confinement. |
| December 10, 1 p.m. |
Annabella delivers a baby girl, Augusta Ada. |
| NO DATE GIVEN |
Murray offers 1000 guineas for the copyrights of
Parisina and Siege of Corinth, but Byron
refuses money for his writing. |
| December 28 |
Lady Noel offers an invitation for the Byrons to come to
Kirkby Mallory. |
