Harriet Grote
Encyclopedia
Harriet Grote was an English biographer, and as wife to George Grote
hostess to the English philosophical radicals of the earlier nineteenth century.
, near Southampton
, on 1 July 1792. Her father, Thomas Lewin, after spending some years in the Madras civil service, came back in the same ship with the divorced Madame Grand (from Pondicherry) who afterwards married Talleyrand, and remained with her for a time at Paris
in the years preceding the French Revolution
. Settling then in England
, and marrying a Miss Hale (daughter of General Hale and a Miss Chaloner, descended from Thomas Chaloner
the regicide), who brought him a large family, he lived in style, keeping a house in town as well as in the country.
Harriet Lewin grew up a high-spirited, brilliant girl, and at the age of twenty-two, her father then residing at The Hollies, near Bexley
in Kent
, attracted the devotion of George Grote
, her junior by two years, who lived with his parents not far off. They were married in 1820. She began to cultivate foreigners, especially French public men. During Grote's parliamentary period she supported to him by holding together the party of radical reformers socially; and later supported his scholarly work.
, then, for greater convenience of parliamentary attendance, at 3 Eccleston Street, which they did not give up till 1848 for the well-known 12 Savile Row
, associated with the literary fame and administrative activity of all Grote's later years. From 1838 they also established a country house at East Burnham (near Burnham Beeches
) in Buckinghamshire
, and this they maintained till 1850. It was replaced by a small place, which they built in the neighbourhood and occupied, under the name of 'History Hut,' from the beginning of 1853 till the end of 1857. Then, for reasons detailed by Mrs. Grote in an Account of the Hamlet of East Burnham (privately circulated at the time), they decided to leave the area.
They took from 1859 the spacious Barrow Green House in Surrey
, which once had been occupied by Jeremy Bentham
; but it was inconvenient for visits to London, and was given up in 1863. In 1864 they settled finally at Shiere, Surrey, in 'The Ridgeway' as it was called by Mrs. Grote, after the place of her birth. Herself an accomplished musician, she cultivated friendly relations with Mendelssohn
and other composers and performers, including Jenny Lind
.
following on premature delivery in 1821 of an only child (a boy), who lived just a week, she had an excellent constitution. She remained active to the last. She died at Shiere on 29 December 1878, in her eighty-seventh year, and was buried there.
, the painter, a graphic sketch that reached a second edition in 1860, the year of its publication. Two years later she issued a volume of Collected Papers (some unpublished). A keeper of diaries and notebooks, as well as a sprightly letter-writer, ashe began to write a biographical account of her husband while he was still alive. The work was rapidly pushed forward on his death in 1871, though she had already reached her eightieth year, and was published in 1873 as The Personal Life of George Grote.
She had previously (in 1866) printed for private circulation a sketch entitled The Philosophical Radicals of 1832, including a Life of Sir William Molesworth. She also wrote a pamphlet (1878), A brief Retrospect of the Political Events of 1831-1832, as illustrated by the Greville and Althorp Memoirs.
George Grote
George Grote was an English classical historian, best known in the field for a major work, the voluminous History of Greece, still read.-Early life:He was born at Clay Hill near Beckenham in Kent...
hostess to the English philosophical radicals of the earlier nineteenth century.
Early life
She was born Harriet Lewin at The RidgewayThe Ridgeway
thumb|right|thumb|The ancient tree-lined path winds over the downs countrysideThe Ridgeway is a ridgeway or ancient trackway described as Britain's oldest road...
, near Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, on 1 July 1792. Her father, Thomas Lewin, after spending some years in the Madras civil service, came back in the same ship with the divorced Madame Grand (from Pondicherry) who afterwards married Talleyrand, and remained with her for a time at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in the years preceding the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. Settling then in 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 marrying a Miss Hale (daughter of General Hale and a Miss Chaloner, descended from Thomas Chaloner
Thomas Chaloner
Thomas Chaloner is the name of:* Sir Thomas Chaloner , English statesman and poet* Sir Thomas Chaloner , English naturalist who introduced alum manufacturing to England...
the regicide), who brought him a large family, he lived in style, keeping a house in town as well as in the country.
Harriet Lewin grew up a high-spirited, brilliant girl, and at the age of twenty-two, her father then residing at The Hollies, near Bexley
Bexley
Bexley is an South East London]] in the London Borough of Bexley, London, England. It is located on the banks of the River Cray south of the Roman Road, Watling Street...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, attracted the devotion of George Grote
George Grote
George Grote was an English classical historian, best known in the field for a major work, the voluminous History of Greece, still read.-Early life:He was born at Clay Hill near Beckenham in Kent...
, her junior by two years, who lived with his parents not far off. They were married in 1820. She began to cultivate foreigners, especially French public men. During Grote's parliamentary period she supported to him by holding together the party of radical reformers socially; and later supported his scholarly work.
On the move
Their circumstances became easier in 1830; from 1832 till 1837 they lived mainly at Dulwich WoodDulwich Wood
Dulwich Wood together with the adjacent Sydenham Hill Wood is the largest extant part of the ancient Great North Wood. The two woods were separated after the relocation of The Crystal Palace in 1854 and the creation of the high level line in 1865...
, then, for greater convenience of parliamentary attendance, at 3 Eccleston Street, which they did not give up till 1848 for the well-known 12 Savile Row
Savile Row
Savile Row is a shopping street in Mayfair, central London, famous for its traditional men's bespoke tailoring. The term "bespoke" is understood to have originated in Savile Row when cloth for a suit was said to "be spoken for" by individual customers...
, associated with the literary fame and administrative activity of all Grote's later years. From 1838 they also established a country house at East Burnham (near Burnham Beeches
Burnham Beeches
Burnham Beeches is an area of 220 hectares of ancient woodland, located close to Farnham Common, Burnham and Beaconsfield, in Buckinghamshire. It is approximately 25 miles to the west of London, England.-Preservation:...
) in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, and this they maintained till 1850. It was replaced by a small place, which they built in the neighbourhood and occupied, under the name of 'History Hut,' from the beginning of 1853 till the end of 1857. Then, for reasons detailed by Mrs. Grote in an Account of the Hamlet of East Burnham (privately circulated at the time), they decided to leave the area.
They took from 1859 the spacious Barrow Green House in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, which once had been occupied by Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham was an English jurist, philosopher, and legal and social reformer. He became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical whose ideas influenced the development of welfarism...
; but it was inconvenient for visits to London, and was given up in 1863. In 1864 they settled finally at Shiere, Surrey, in 'The Ridgeway' as it was called by Mrs. Grote, after the place of her birth. Herself an accomplished musician, she cultivated friendly relations with Mendelssohn
Mendelssohn
Mendelson is a Polish/German Jewish family name, meaning "son of Mendel", Mendel being a Yiddish diminutive of the Hebrew given name Menahem, meaning "consoling" or "one who consoles".Mendelssohn is the surname of a number of people:...
and other composers and performers, including Jenny Lind
Jenny Lind
Johanna Maria Lind , better known as Jenny Lind, was a Swedish opera singer, often known as the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she is known for her performances in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and for an extraordinarily...
.
Later life
Though her health suffered from a feverFever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
following on premature delivery in 1821 of an only child (a boy), who lived just a week, she had an excellent constitution. She remained active to the last. She died at Shiere on 29 December 1878, in her eighty-seventh year, and was buried there.
Works
Her first acknowledged work was a Memoir of the Life of Ary SchefferAry Scheffer
Ary Scheffer , French painter of Dutch and German extraction, was born in Dordrecht.-Life:After the early death of his father Johann Baptist, a poor painter, Ary's mother Cornelia, herself a painter and daughter of landscapist Arie Lamme, took him to Paris and placed him in the studio of...
, the painter, a graphic sketch that reached a second edition in 1860, the year of its publication. Two years later she issued a volume of Collected Papers (some unpublished). A keeper of diaries and notebooks, as well as a sprightly letter-writer, ashe began to write a biographical account of her husband while he was still alive. The work was rapidly pushed forward on his death in 1871, though she had already reached her eightieth year, and was published in 1873 as The Personal Life of George Grote.
She had previously (in 1866) printed for private circulation a sketch entitled The Philosophical Radicals of 1832, including a Life of Sir William Molesworth. She also wrote a pamphlet (1878), A brief Retrospect of the Political Events of 1831-1832, as illustrated by the Greville and Althorp Memoirs.