Anne Isabella Byron, Baroness Byron
Encyclopedia
Anne Isabella Noel Byron, 11th Baroness Wentworth and Baroness Byron (17 May 1792 – 16 May 1860) was the wife of the poet Lord Byron, and mother of Ada Lovelace
, the patron and co-worker of mathematician
Charles Babbage
.
, Pittington
, Durham
as Anne Isabella Milbanke, the only child of Sir Ralph Milbanke, 6th Baronet, and his wife the Hon. Lady [Judith] Milbanke, sister of Thomas Noel, Lord Wentworth
. When Lord Wentworth died, a few months after Anne Isabella's marriage to Lord Byron, her father, who inherited a large part of the estate, changed his name to Sir Ralph Noel. When her mother died, Anne Isabella and her husband changed their names to Noel also; her mother had required this as a condition for inheriting her considerable estate; her mother disliked Byron's name so much that she had written a letter to the Prince Regent
, requesting that he give her daughter the title of "Lady Wentworth" (a barony separate from the one she would eventually inherit), so that her parents would not have to call her "Byron".
So she was first Anne Isabella, Baroness Byron or Lady Byron, and then Anne Isabella Noel, Baroness Byron. Her uncle had been both Viscount and Baron Wentworth, which titles were inherited differently: the viscountcy became extinct, and the barony fell into abeyance
between her mother and her cousin Nathaniel Curzon, 3rd Baron Scarsdale. When Curzon died without heirs in 1856, Baroness Byron became Baroness Wentworth, in her own right, as sole claimant; but she did not use the title. She signed her letters "A. I. Noel Byron" and her will as "Baroness Noel-Byron". The world knew her as "Lady Byron", and her friends called her by her nickname "Annabella".
professor by the name of William Frend
. Under his direction, Annabella's education proceeded much like that of a Cambridge student; her studies involved classical literature, philosophy
, science
and mathematics
, in which she particularly delighted. This fascination led her husband to nickname her his "princess of parallelograms".
Anne Isabella developed into a stiff, religious woman with strict morals. She was aware of her strong intellect and was not ashamed to demonstrate it in her social realm. Often described as cold and prim, she seemed an unlikely match for the man who would become her ultimate obsession, the dramatically dark and "morally fractured" poet
Lord Byron. Their first meeting occurred in March 1812. She later said to her mother that though she would not venture to introduce herself to Byron, she would certainly accept his introduction if it were offered.
Although Byron's popularity was soaring following the success of his work Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
, Annabella continually rejected his attentions. Spurned, Byron committed himself to the pursuit of her and in October 1812, he proposed marriage. In response, Annabella wrote a summary of his character and three days later refused him. However, both were plagued with a persistent interest in one another.
In August 1813, she contacted Byron in writing for the first time. The letters continued into the next year, some offering reassurance and support during times when public opinion of him was not favorable, others describing the "imperfect attachment" she felt for him. During this time, he accepted an invitation from Sir Ralph Milbanke to visit Seaham Hall
, the family home in County Durham
.
in County Durham on January 2, 1815 (the officiating clergyman was her illegitimate cousin, the Rev. Thomas Noel of Kirkby Mallory
, natural son of her uncle, Viscount Wentworth
.) The couple lived at Piccadilly Terrace in London.
Byron was then in extreme financial distress. He rejected payments offered for his written works, as he believed the sums were insufficient. He was having difficulty selling his estates at Newstead Abbey
and Rochdale
to clear his debt. During the summer of 1815, he began to unleash his anger and hostility on his wife. His moods were dark and he began to drink heavily. In a letter to his half-sister, Augusta Leigh
, he stated his suspicions that his wife had broken the lock on his desk and searched it. Later in the year he began an affair with Susan Boyce, a London chorus girl.
Lady Byron became increasingly upset. In the late stages of pregnancy, she feared Byron might have been going mad. In November 1815, she wrote to Leigh and told her of Byron's moods and behavior. In answer to her sister-in-law's letter, Leigh traveled to the Byrons' home to assist. Upon her arrival, she became the subject of Byron's wrath and believed him to be temporarily insane. On December 10, Lady Byron gave birth to the couple's only child, a daughter whom they named Ada
. Byron's despair seemed to increase.
Lady Byron began a detailed documentation of Byron's behavior, moods, and speech. She contacted his solicitor and friend, John Hanson
, and told him her concerns that Byron would take his life. She also provided Hanson with a pamphlet on hydrocephalus
, accompanied by notes that suggested Byron could be suffering from this particular affliction. Following this conversation, Lady Byron took Ada and traveled to her parents' residence at Kirkby Mallory
in Leicestershire
. She would not see Byron again.
if he knew of it. She returned the letter to Kirkby Mallory and communicated her opinion that greater consideration should be taken in the matter of the Byrons' marriage. A week later, however, a messenger sent Byron the proposal again.
This time it reached him but he refused to believe Lady Byron no longer wanted to be married to him. He asked Augusta to write to her; in addition, he refused to dissolve their marriage. A short while later, when Lady Byron made clear her suspicions that Byron's relationship with his half-sister Augusta was incestuous, he changed his mind. He agreed to grant Lady Byron's request if she proved that the request for legal separation was truly hers and not that of her parents. In response, Lady Byron personally communicated her feelings to Leigh. Byron kept his word, and their separation was made legal in March 1816, in a private settlement.
Following the settlement, Leigh wrote to Lady Byron; the latter's solicitor replied to the private note. Byron was enraged by such cold treatment of his half-sister. Soon after the dissolution of his marriage, he left England
and lived the remainder of his days abroad.
Though she wished to separate from Byron, Lady Byron was haunted by him until her death. She had tried hard to save his soul and secure him a place in Heaven. In the years following their separation, she came to believe that the time she had spent with Byron guaranteed he would experience God's embrace upon his death. She kept his letters, copies of her own to him, and letters about him. She carefully documented their relationship, supposedly in preparation for any challenge Byron may have made for custody of Ada.
He never did seek custody of his daughter, though he sent for both of them shortly before his death in Greece
on April 19, 1824. Lady Byron was gratified by his final gesture. Her obsession with Byron did not end with his death. Ultimately her relationship with Byron defined her life, though she committed herself to social causes, such as prison reform
and the abolition of slavery. In furtherance of the latter, Baroness Byron attended the 1840 World Anti-Slavery Conference, where she was one of the few women included in its commemorative painting.
She married at nineteen years of age, had three children, and amassed considerable gambling debt before dying from cancer
on November 27, 1852. Lady Byron attended her daughter's deathbed, where she refused Ada opiates on the grounds that they would cloud her mind too much for repentance. Ada Lovelace
was thirty-six years old when she died (the same age as Lord Byron when he died).
at Kensal Green
in London. Prior to her death, she shared the story of her marriage to Byron with Harriet Beecher Stowe
, who published the account in 1869. In the event, she all but destroyed Lord Byron's reputation. It was the first time anyone had published suspicions of an incestuous relationship between Byron and his half-sister.
Lady Byron's barony passed to her grandson Byron King-Noel, Viscount Ockham
.
In her will she left a £300 legacy to the writer George MacDonald
whom she had patronized during her life.
Ada Lovelace
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace , born Augusta Ada Byron, was an English writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine...
, the patron and co-worker of mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage, FRS was an English mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer...
.
Name
Her names were unusually complex. She was born at Elemore HallElemore Hall
Elemore Hall is a mid 18th century country house, now in use as a residential special school, near Pittington, County Durham, England. It is a Grade I listed building....
, Pittington
Pittington
Pittington is a village and civil parish in County Durham, in England. It is situated a few miles north-east of Durham.Pittington is made up of the neighbouring settlements of Low Pittington and High Pittington...
, Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
as Anne Isabella Milbanke, the only child of Sir Ralph Milbanke, 6th Baronet, and his wife the Hon. Lady [Judith] Milbanke, sister of Thomas Noel, Lord Wentworth
Thomas Noel, 2nd Viscount Wentworth
Thomas Noel, 2nd Viscount Wentworth was a British politician.Wentworth was the only son of the Edward Noel, 1st Viscount Wentworth and his wife, Judith, and was educated at Eton and Brasenose College, Oxford...
. When Lord Wentworth died, a few months after Anne Isabella's marriage to Lord Byron, her father, who inherited a large part of the estate, changed his name to Sir Ralph Noel. When her mother died, Anne Isabella and her husband changed their names to Noel also; her mother had required this as a condition for inheriting her considerable estate; her mother disliked Byron's name so much that she had written a letter to the Prince Regent
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
, requesting that he give her daughter the title of "Lady Wentworth" (a barony separate from the one she would eventually inherit), so that her parents would not have to call her "Byron".
So she was first Anne Isabella, Baroness Byron or Lady Byron, and then Anne Isabella Noel, Baroness Byron. Her uncle had been both Viscount and Baron Wentworth, which titles were inherited differently: the viscountcy became extinct, and the barony fell into abeyance
Abeyance
Abeyance is a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vested in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner. In law, the term abeyance can only be applied to such future estates as have not yet vested or possibly...
between her mother and her cousin Nathaniel Curzon, 3rd Baron Scarsdale. When Curzon died without heirs in 1856, Baroness Byron became Baroness Wentworth, in her own right, as sole claimant; but she did not use the title. She signed her letters "A. I. Noel Byron" and her will as "Baroness Noel-Byron". The world knew her as "Lady Byron", and her friends called her by her nickname "Annabella".
Youth
She was a gifted child. To cultivate her obvious intelligence, her parents hired as tutor a former Cambridge UniversityUniversity of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
professor by the name of William Frend
William Frend (social reformer)
William Frend was an English clergyman , social reformer and writer. After a high-profile university trial in Cambridge deprived of his residency rights as fellow of his college, he became a leading figure in London radical circles.-Early life:Son of a Canterbury trader, he was born on 22 November...
. Under his direction, Annabella's education proceeded much like that of a Cambridge student; her studies involved classical literature, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, in which she particularly delighted. This fascination led her husband to nickname her his "princess of parallelograms".
Anne Isabella developed into a stiff, religious woman with strict morals. She was aware of her strong intellect and was not ashamed to demonstrate it in her social realm. Often described as cold and prim, she seemed an unlikely match for the man who would become her ultimate obsession, the dramatically dark and "morally fractured" poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Lord Byron. Their first meeting occurred in March 1812. She later said to her mother that though she would not venture to introduce herself to Byron, she would certainly accept his introduction if it were offered.
Although Byron's popularity was soaring following the success of his work Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage is a lengthy narrative poem in four parts written by Lord Byron. It was published between 1812 and 1818 and is dedicated to "Ianthe". The poem describes the travels and reflections of a world-weary young man who, disillusioned with a life of pleasure and revelry, looks...
, Annabella continually rejected his attentions. Spurned, Byron committed himself to the pursuit of her and in October 1812, he proposed marriage. In response, Annabella wrote a summary of his character and three days later refused him. However, both were plagued with a persistent interest in one another.
In August 1813, she contacted Byron in writing for the first time. The letters continued into the next year, some offering reassurance and support during times when public opinion of him was not favorable, others describing the "imperfect attachment" she felt for him. During this time, he accepted an invitation from Sir Ralph Milbanke to visit Seaham Hall
Seaham Hall
Seaham Hall is now a spa Hotel in County Durham, England. It was once owned by George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry, although for much of his life he lived at Plas Machynlleth, his wife's home in Montgomeryshire....
, the family home in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
.
Marriage
When Lord Byron proposed a second time to Miss Milbanke in September 1814, she accepted. The couple were married privately, and by special licence, at Seaham HallSeaham Hall
Seaham Hall is now a spa Hotel in County Durham, England. It was once owned by George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry, although for much of his life he lived at Plas Machynlleth, his wife's home in Montgomeryshire....
in County Durham on January 2, 1815 (the officiating clergyman was her illegitimate cousin, the Rev. Thomas Noel of Kirkby Mallory
Kirkby Mallory
Kirkby Mallory is a hamlet in Leicestershire, England. It is known mainly for its Race Circuit, Mallory Park, a one mile track where car and motorbike races take place.Its church is All Saints and is located near the entrance Numerous lakes and farms are situated in and around the village and the...
, natural son of her uncle, Viscount Wentworth
Thomas Noel, 2nd Viscount Wentworth
Thomas Noel, 2nd Viscount Wentworth was a British politician.Wentworth was the only son of the Edward Noel, 1st Viscount Wentworth and his wife, Judith, and was educated at Eton and Brasenose College, Oxford...
.) The couple lived at Piccadilly Terrace in London.
Byron was then in extreme financial distress. He rejected payments offered for his written works, as he believed the sums were insufficient. He was having difficulty selling his estates at Newstead Abbey
Newstead Abbey
Newstead Abbey, in Nottinghamshire, England, originally an Augustinian priory, is now best known as the ancestral home of Lord Byron.-Monastic foundation:The priory of St...
and Rochdale
Rochdale
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
to clear his debt. During the summer of 1815, he began to unleash his anger and hostility on his wife. His moods were dark and he began to drink heavily. In a letter to his half-sister, Augusta Leigh
Augusta Leigh
Augusta Maria Byron, later Augusta Maria Leigh , styled "The Honourable" from birth, was the only daughter of John "Mad Jack" Byron, the poet Lord Byron's father, by his first wife, Amelia Osborne .-Early...
, he stated his suspicions that his wife had broken the lock on his desk and searched it. Later in the year he began an affair with Susan Boyce, a London chorus girl.
Lady Byron became increasingly upset. In the late stages of pregnancy, she feared Byron might have been going mad. In November 1815, she wrote to Leigh and told her of Byron's moods and behavior. In answer to her sister-in-law's letter, Leigh traveled to the Byrons' home to assist. Upon her arrival, she became the subject of Byron's wrath and believed him to be temporarily insane. On December 10, Lady Byron gave birth to the couple's only child, a daughter whom they named Ada
Ada Lovelace
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace , born Augusta Ada Byron, was an English writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine...
. Byron's despair seemed to increase.
Separation
In January 1816, as the Byrons passed their first anniversary, Lord Byron suggested they sell the house at Piccadilly Terrace. He recommended that Lady Byron take Ada to her parents' home and stay there temporarily until he settled their finances. In disbelief, Annabella sought medical advice as she had become convinced her husband had gone mad. She invited a physician to their home to assess Byron. Byron was unaware of the true purpose for the visit. The doctor recommended she do as Byron requested and move to her parents' estate.Lady Byron began a detailed documentation of Byron's behavior, moods, and speech. She contacted his solicitor and friend, John Hanson
John Hanson
John Hanson was a merchant and public official from Maryland during the era of the American Revolution. After serving in a variety of roles for the Patriot cause in Maryland, in 1779 Hanson was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress...
, and told him her concerns that Byron would take his life. She also provided Hanson with a pamphlet on hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus , also known as "water in the brain," is a medical condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles, or cavities, of the brain. This may cause increased intracranial pressure inside the skull and progressive enlargement of the head,...
, accompanied by notes that suggested Byron could be suffering from this particular affliction. Following this conversation, Lady Byron took Ada and traveled to her parents' residence at Kirkby Mallory
Kirkby Mallory
Kirkby Mallory is a hamlet in Leicestershire, England. It is known mainly for its Race Circuit, Mallory Park, a one mile track where car and motorbike races take place.Its church is All Saints and is located near the entrance Numerous lakes and farms are situated in and around the village and the...
in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
. She would not see Byron again.
Later life
During her first month at Kirkby Mallory, Lady Byron wrote to Byron affectionately, addressing him as "dearest Duck". Her mother wrote to him and invited him to come to their home. However, her concern for Lady Byron soon became paramount, and her parents sought legal counsel. Their attorney recommended a legal separation and sent a letter proposing the separation to Byron. Augusta, who had remained with Byron at Piccadilly Terrace since his wife's departure, intercepted the letter, as she feared Byron would commit suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
if he knew of it. She returned the letter to Kirkby Mallory and communicated her opinion that greater consideration should be taken in the matter of the Byrons' marriage. A week later, however, a messenger sent Byron the proposal again.
This time it reached him but he refused to believe Lady Byron no longer wanted to be married to him. He asked Augusta to write to her; in addition, he refused to dissolve their marriage. A short while later, when Lady Byron made clear her suspicions that Byron's relationship with his half-sister Augusta was incestuous, he changed his mind. He agreed to grant Lady Byron's request if she proved that the request for legal separation was truly hers and not that of her parents. In response, Lady Byron personally communicated her feelings to Leigh. Byron kept his word, and their separation was made legal in March 1816, in a private settlement.
Following the settlement, Leigh wrote to Lady Byron; the latter's solicitor replied to the private note. Byron was enraged by such cold treatment of his half-sister. Soon after the dissolution of his marriage, he left England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and lived the remainder of his days abroad.
Though she wished to separate from Byron, Lady Byron was haunted by him until her death. She had tried hard to save his soul and secure him a place in Heaven. In the years following their separation, she came to believe that the time she had spent with Byron guaranteed he would experience God's embrace upon his death. She kept his letters, copies of her own to him, and letters about him. She carefully documented their relationship, supposedly in preparation for any challenge Byron may have made for custody of Ada.
He never did seek custody of his daughter, though he sent for both of them shortly before his death in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
on April 19, 1824. Lady Byron was gratified by his final gesture. Her obsession with Byron did not end with his death. Ultimately her relationship with Byron defined her life, though she committed herself to social causes, such as prison reform
Prison reform
Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system.-History:Prisons have only been used as the primary punishment for criminal acts in the last couple of centuries...
and the abolition of slavery. In furtherance of the latter, Baroness Byron attended the 1840 World Anti-Slavery Conference, where she was one of the few women included in its commemorative painting.
Daughter
As Ada grew, Lady Byron feared she might inherit Byron's behaviors and dark moods. She schooled Ada in science and mathematics and discouraged literary study. Though her effort was great, it eventually seemed in vain. Ada embodied many of her father's rebellious qualities.She married at nineteen years of age, had three children, and amassed considerable gambling debt before dying from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on November 27, 1852. Lady Byron attended her daughter's deathbed, where she refused Ada opiates on the grounds that they would cloud her mind too much for repentance. Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace , born Augusta Ada Byron, was an English writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine...
was thirty-six years old when she died (the same age as Lord Byron when he died).
Death
Lady Byron died of breast cancer on May 16, 1860, the day before her 68th birthday. She was buried in Kensal Green CemeteryKensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
at Kensal Green
Kensal Green
Kensal Green, also referred to as Kensal Rise is an area of London, England. It is located on the southern edge of the London Borough of Brent and borders the City of Westminster to the East and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the South....
in London. Prior to her death, she shared the story of her marriage to Byron with Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
, who published the account in 1869. In the event, she all but destroyed Lord Byron's reputation. It was the first time anyone had published suspicions of an incestuous relationship between Byron and his half-sister.
Lady Byron's barony passed to her grandson Byron King-Noel, Viscount Ockham
Byron King-Noel, Viscount Ockham
Byron King-Noel, 12th Baron Wentworth, styled Viscount Ockham was a British peer.Lord Ockham was the eldest son of William King-Noel, 1st Earl of Lovelace and his wife, Ada...
.
In her will she left a £300 legacy to the writer George MacDonald
George MacDonald
George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister.Known particularly for his poignant fairy tales and fantasy novels, George MacDonald inspired many authors, such as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L'Engle. It was C.S...
whom she had patronized during her life.