Who was George Eliot?
Novelist.
Date and Place of Birth:
Born Mary Ann Evans on 22nd November 1819, Arbury
Hall Farm, Chilvers Coton, Warwickshire, England.
Family Background:
Daughter of an estate worker.
Education:
Mrs. Wallington's School, Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
Misses Franklin's School.
Chronology/Biography of George Eliot:
1836: Death of her
mother.
1840: publishes
her first poem in the "Christian Observer".
1841: Moves to Bird
Grove. Foleshill near Coventry with her father.
1842: Translates
parts of the "Tractatus Theologico Politicus" by Spinoza.
1843: Begins studying
Greek.
1844: Translates
Strauss's "Das Leben Jesu". Begins to study Hebrew.
1849: (June) Death
of her father. Travels to Geneva, Switzerland with the Bray family.
1851: Writes an
article for the "Westminster Review" about Mackay's "Progress
of the Intellect".
1852: First publication
of the "Westminster Review" under her Editorship.
1853: Moves to live
in her own lodgings.
1854: (July) Leaves
with George Henry Lewes for Weimar in Germany. (3rd November) Begins
translating Spinoza's "Ethics".
1856: (February)
after finishing Spinoza she begins writing "The Sad Fortunes
of Rev. Amos Barton".
1857: Writes "Scenes
of Clerical Life" for Blackwood's Magazine under the pseudonym
George Eliot.
1859: "Adam
Bede" published by Blackwoods in three volumes. Second edition
and second impression follow on swiftly.
1860: Tours Italy
with Lewes. Publishes "The Mill on the Floss".
1861: Publication
of "Silas Marner".
1862: "Romala"
begins its serialisation in "Cornhill Magazine".
1864: Tours Italy
once more. Begins to learn Spanish.
1865: Holidays in
Paris and Brittany.
1866: "Felix
Holt" published by Blackwoods. Tours Holland, Belgium Germany
and Spain.
1867: Travels with
Lewes to Germany.
1868: Travels with
Lewes to Germany and Switzerland. Publishes "The Spanish Gyspy".
1869: Travels to
Italy with Lewes and meets John Walter Cross in Rome during April.
(August) Begins writing "Middlemarch".
1871: "Middlemarch"
is published in eight monthly parts by Blackwoods.
1872: Visits Germany
with Lewes and is ill.
1873: Holiday in
France and Germany.
1876: "Daniel
Deronda" published in eight monthly parts. Travels to France
and Switzerland with Lewes. (December) Buys the Heights at Witley
with Lewes.
1878: (22nd December)
Death of George Lewes.
1879: (October)
John Blackwood dies.
1880: (3rd December)
Moves to 4 Cheyne Walk.
Written Works:
- 1846: "Strauss's
Life of Jesus".
- 1858: "Scenes
of Clerical Life".
- 1859: "Adam
Bede". "The Lifted Veil".
- 1860:
"The Mill on the Floss".
- 1861:
"Silas Marner".
- 1863:
"Romola".
- 1866:
"Felix Holt".
- 1868: "The
Spanish Gypsy".
- 1869: "Agatha".
- 1871: "Middlemarch".
- 1874: "The
Legend of Jubal".
- 1876:
"Daniel Deronda".
- 1879:
"Thophrastus Such".
- (1884):
"Essays and Leaves from Notebooks".
Marriage:
To John Cross on 6th May 1880 at St. George's
Hannover Square, London.
Places of Interest:
WARWICKSHIRE:
Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery, Riversley Park,
Coton Road, Nuneaton, CV11 5TU..
Date and Place of Death:
22nd December 1880, London, England.
Age at Death:
61.
Site of Grave:
Highgate “new” Cemetery, Highgate, London,
England.
Further Information:
George Eliot Fellowship
c/o Mrs Kathleen Adams
71 Stepping Stones Road
Coventry
CW5 8JT
