Georgie Hyde-Lees
Encyclopedia
Georgie Hyde-Lees was the daughter of Edith Ellen (Nelly) and Gilbert Hyde-Lees, and the wife of the poet William Butler Yeats
.
Georgie was born in Fleet, Hampshire
; when she was only a few years old her parents' marriage failed due to her father's alcoholism. He had enough income to support his family but his wife was in the awkward social position of being a "married woman without a husband". The family lived a vaguely bohemian
and nomadic lifestyle, traveling frequently to country homes and spending long periods visiting relatives.
She attended a number of schools in Knightsbridge
, London art schools, studied languages and classics, and piano. She became close friends with Dorothy Shakespear
, who was fond of Georgie and shared many of her interests despite being six years her senior. After the death of her father in 1909, Georgie's mother married Dorothy's uncle, Henry Tucker, Olivia Shakespear
's brother, and they moved to Kensington
.
Her mother often brought young musicians and artists she had recently met to Olivia Shakespear's salon, many of whom became well-known modernists, including Ezra Pound
, Walter Rummel, and Frederic Manning
. Georgie continued to make the rounds of country estates accompanied by her mother and the two Shakespear women; it was in their company in 1910 or 1911, as a seventeen-year-old, that she met Yeats at the British Museum one morning and again that afternoon during tea at the Shakespears.
Seven years later, when she was 25 and he 52, he asked her to marry him. Only a few weeks earlier Iseult Gonne
had rejected a marriage proposal from him. She was the daughter of Maud Gonne
, whom had Yeats loved obsessively for many years. Georgie and Yeats married just three weeks later, on 20 October 1917, in a public registry office, witnessed by her mother and Ezra Pound. During the honeymoon, when Yeats was still thinking about Iseult's rejection, Georgie began the automatic writing
which fascinated him. He wrote about it days later in what was to be A Vision
, and it held the marriage together for many years. Within a year of marriage he declared her name of Georgie to be insufferable, and henceforth called her George.
The couple had two children, Anne
and Michael
.
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
.
Georgie was born in Fleet, Hampshire
Fleet, Hampshire
Fleet is a town and civil parish in the Hart district of Hampshire, England, located 37 miles south west of London. It is part of Hart District. The 2007 population forecast for Fleet was 31,687.-History:...
; when she was only a few years old her parents' marriage failed due to her father's alcoholism. He had enough income to support his family but his wife was in the awkward social position of being a "married woman without a husband". The family lived a vaguely bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
and nomadic lifestyle, traveling frequently to country homes and spending long periods visiting relatives.
She attended a number of schools in Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, London art schools, studied languages and classics, and piano. She became close friends with Dorothy Shakespear
Dorothy Shakespear
Dorothy Shakespear was an English artist, the daughter of novelist Olivia Shakespear, and the wife of the poet Ezra Pound. She was a member of the Vorticism movement, and had her work published in the literary magazine BLAST.Dorothy met Ezra Pound in 1909; after a long courtship the two were...
, who was fond of Georgie and shared many of her interests despite being six years her senior. After the death of her father in 1909, Georgie's mother married Dorothy's uncle, Henry Tucker, Olivia Shakespear
Olivia Shakespear
Olivia Shakespear, , was a British novelist, playwright, and patron of the arts. She wrote six books that are described as "marriage problem" novels. Her works sold poorly, sometimes only a few hundred copies. Her last novel, Uncle Hilary, is considered her best...
's brother, and they moved to Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
.
Her mother often brought young musicians and artists she had recently met to Olivia Shakespear's salon, many of whom became well-known modernists, including Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic and a major figure in the early modernist movement in poetry...
, Walter Rummel, and Frederic Manning
Frederic Manning
Frederic Manning was an Australian poet and novelist.-Biography:Born in Sydney, Manning was the son of local politician Sir William Patrick Manning. His family were Catholics, of Irish origin. A sickly child , Manning was educated exclusively at home...
. Georgie continued to make the rounds of country estates accompanied by her mother and the two Shakespear women; it was in their company in 1910 or 1911, as a seventeen-year-old, that she met Yeats at the British Museum one morning and again that afternoon during tea at the Shakespears.
Seven years later, when she was 25 and he 52, he asked her to marry him. Only a few weeks earlier Iseult Gonne
Iseult Gonne
Iseult Gonne , was the daughter of Maud Gonne and Lucien Millevoye, and the wife of the novelist Francis Stuart....
had rejected a marriage proposal from him. She was the daughter of Maud Gonne
Maud Gonne
Maud Gonne MacBride was an English-born Irish revolutionary, feminist and actress, best remembered for her turbulent relationship with William Butler Yeats. Of Anglo-Irish stock and birth, she was won over to Irish nationalism by the plight of evicted people in the Land Wars...
, whom had Yeats loved obsessively for many years. Georgie and Yeats married just three weeks later, on 20 October 1917, in a public registry office, witnessed by her mother and Ezra Pound. During the honeymoon, when Yeats was still thinking about Iseult's rejection, Georgie began the automatic writing
Automatic writing
Automatic writing or psychography is writing which the writer states to be produced from a subconscious and/or spiritual source without conscious awareness of the content.-History:...
which fascinated him. He wrote about it days later in what was to be A Vision
A Vision
A Vision: An Explanation of Life Founded upon the Writings of Giraldus and upon Certain Doctrines Attributed to Kusta Ben Luka, privately published in 1925, was a book-length study of various philosophical, historical, astrological, and poetic topics by the Irish poet William Butler Yeats...
, and it held the marriage together for many years. Within a year of marriage he declared her name of Georgie to be insufferable, and henceforth called her George.
The couple had two children, Anne
Anne Yeats
Anne Butler Yeats was an Irish painter and stage designer. She was a daughter of the poet William Butler Yeats and a niece of the painter Jack B. Yeats, niece of Lily Yeats an embroiderer associated with the Celtic Revival, and botanic artist Elizabeth Yeats...
and Michael
Michael Yeats
William Michael Yeats was an Irish barrister and Fianna Fáil politician.He was educated in Trinity College, Dublin and was an officer in The Hist...
.
Sources
- Foster, R.F. W.B Yeats: A Life. Oxford University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-19-211735-1
- Saddlemeyer, Ann. "George Hyde-Lees: More than a Poet's Wife". in Norman Jeffares Yeats the European. Barnes and Noble Books, 1989. ISBN 0-389-20875-2