Who was Alfred Lord Tennyson?
Poet.
Date and Place of Birth:
6th August 1809, Somersby Rectory, Lincolnshire,
England.
Family Background:
He was the fourth of twelve children of George,
the Rector of Somersby and Elizabeth who were a talented but unhappy
couple.
Education:
Louth Grammar School, where he hated the sadistic
Headmaster, the Reverend J. Waite. Trinity College, Cambridge University.
Chronology/Biography of Alfred Tennyson:
1823: Poems by Alfred
and his brother Charles were published by Jacksons in Louth, Lincolnshire.
1829: Wins the Chancellor's
Gold Medal at Trinity College, Cambridge with "Timbuctoo".
He becomes a member of "The Apostles" group. Spends Christmas
at Somersby with his college friend Arthur Hallam.
1832: Tennyson visits
the Rhineland in Germany with Hallam.
1833: His work "Poems"
is slammed by the critics in "The Quarterly Review" for
being "too sentimental". (September) Arthur Hallam dies
in Vienna.
1835: Death of his
grandfather George.
1836: Falls in love
with Emily Sellwood at his brother's wedding.
1837: His parents
and the rest of the family leave Somersby and move to Beech Hill
House, at High Beech, Near Epping in Essex.
1840: Family move
to Tunbridge Wells.
1841: Family move
to Boxley, near Maidstone in Kent.
1842: His sisters
Emily and Cecilia marry.
1843: Collapse of
the woodcarving business which Tennyson had invested most of his
inheritance. He moves to Cheltenham in Gloucestershire.
1845: He is granted
a pension from the Civil List by the Government.
1848: Visited Malvern
in Worcestershire.
1850: Publication
of "In Memoriam" which had been inspired by the untimely
death of his friend Hallam. Becomes Poet Laureate, succeeding William
Wordsworth.
1851: (March) The
Tennysons move to Chapel House, Twickenham.
1852: (August) Birth
of son Hallam Tennyson.
1853: (November)
They move to Farringford in the Isle of Wight.
1854: Birth of Son
Lionel.
1855: Publication
of "Maud and Other Poems".
1858: Tennyson visits
Norway alone.
1859: Visits Portugal.
1860: Julia Cameron
goes to live at Farringford.
1861: Visits the
Pyrenees with his family.
1862: Received by
Queen Victoria at Osborne House in the Isle of Wight.
1865: Death of Tennyson's
mother.
1868: (April) Begins
to build a summer residence at Aldworth in Sussex.
1875: Publication
of "Queen Mary".
1884: Takes his
seat in the House of Lords as the First Baron Tennyson. His play
"Becket" is published.
1885: "Tiresias
and Other Poems" is published.
1886: Death of Lionel.
(1893): First performance
of Tennyson's play "Becket".
Written Works:
- 1827: "
Poems by Two Brothers" (Alfred and Charles).
- 1829: "Timbuctoo"
- 1830: "Poems
Chiefly Lyrical".
- 1832: "The
Lady of Shallot". "The Lotus Eaters".
- 1842: "Poems".
- 1847: "The
Princess".
- 1850: "In
Memoriam"
- 1852: "Ode
on the Death of the Duke of Wellington".
- 1854: "The
Charge of the Light Brigade".
- 1855: "Maud
and Other Poems".
- 1859: "The
Idylls of the King".
- 1864: "Idylls
of the Hearth".
- 1865: "A
Selection from the Works".
- 1869: "The
Holy Grail and Other Poems".
- 1872: "Gareth
and Lynette".
- 1876: Queen Mary".
- 1875: "The
Lover's Tale".
- 1879: "The
Falcon".
- 1880: "Ballads
and Other Poems".
- 1881: "The
Cup".
- 1885: "Tiresias
and Other Poems"
- 1889: "Demeter"
- 1892: "The
Foresters". "The Death of Oenone". "Akbar's
Dream".
- 1893: "Becket".
Marriage:
1850 to Emily Sarah Sellwood.
Date and Place of Death:
6th October 1892, Aldworth, Surrey, England.
Age at Death:
83.
Site of Grave:
Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey, Westminster
, London, England.
Westminster Abbey, London
(© Anthony Blagg)
Places of Interest:
CORNWALL:
Tintagel was inspiration for the "Idylls
of the King".
CUMBRIA:
Honeymooned at Tent Lodge, Coniston.
LINCOLNSHIRE:
Some personal effects at the Usher Gallery, Lincoln.
SOMERSET:
Honeymooned at Clevedon House.
SUFFOLK:
Visited Edward Fitzgerald
at Dunwich.
ISLE OF WIGHT:
Tennyson Down Cliff Walk, Farringford.
Lived at Farrington House, Freshwater.
Summer House at Maiden's Croft Meadows, Freshwater.
Tennyson Display Room in Carrisbrooke Castle, Newport.
