Select Who's Who
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Select Who's Who These brief notes are intended to amplify references in the Chron ology, particularly to individuals not in the public domain. The well-known figures of Wordsworth, Lamb, Southey, Byron, De Quincey and Hazlitt are excluded, as are Mary Lamb and Dorothy Wordsworth, since information about them is readily available elsewhere. Adams, Dr Joseph (1756-1818), physician and editor of the Medical and Physical Journal, published a book on cancer in 1795. In 1805 he became physician to the Smallpox Hospital in London. He recom mended STC to the care of James Gillman in 1816. Aders, Mr and Mrs Charles Mr Aders was a wealthy German mer chant who lived in Euston Square and owned valuable paintings. STC met him during the Highgate years. Mrs Aders, nee Eliza Smith, was a daughter of John Raphael Smith, painter and engraver. STC addressed his poem The Two Founts' to her. The Aders' home housed a fine collection of Italian, early Flemish and German paint ings. Samuel Palmer visited in the 1820s, as did Charles Lamb, who wrote a poem describing it as a chapel. Allen Robert (1772-1805), known as 'Bob Allen', was an army sur geon and journalist. He was at Christ's Hospital with STC, and went on as a sizar to University College, Oxford, where STC visited him in 1794; Allen introduced him to Southey of Balliol. He became inter ested in Pantisocracy, but defected by the end of the year. STC wrote in his defence to Southey, 'He did never promise to form one of our party' (Letters, !. 146). He later married a widow with daughters as old as himself. STC sent him money when he was in great financial distress in 1796, commenting that Allen had sent him food and wept over him during his time in the army (Letters, 1. 265). Under the influence of Godwin he became an atheist. He died of apoplexy while STC was in Malta; told of his death, STC sank into melancholy. Lamb refers to his 'happy laugh and handsome face'. There is a story about his good looks in Leigh Hunt's Autobiography (1850, ch. 3). 161 162 A Coleridge Chronology Allsop, Thomas (1795-1880), began as a silk-merchant and eventu ally became a rich stockbroker. He met STC in 1818 at Highgate, where, in his own words, he was STC's 'favourite disciple'. He fell into temporary financial difficulties in 1827 and saw little of STC thereafter. In 1836 he published Letters, Conversations and Recollec tions of Coleridge, which contains good stories of Lamb but is unreli able about STC. Allston, Washington (1779-1843) was an American historical painter and poet. STC met him in Rome on his way back from Malta in 1805. Later he came to London and painted STC's portrait, now in the National Portrait Gallery. He was a friend of WW and Southey too. His best-known paintings are 'Jacob's Dream' and 'Uriel in the Sun'. Ball, Sir Alexander (1757-1809) was a distinguished naval figure who forced the capitulation of the French at Malta in 1800 after a two-year blockade. He became the first Governor of Malta and died there. STC was delighted to have the benefit of his society and to work for him. Banks, Sir Joseph (1743-1820), a great Lincolnshire figure: explorer, naturalist, President of the Royal Society. STC applied to him in 1803 for Indian hemp ('bang') to help alleviate the sufferings of Thomas Wedgwood. Barbauld, Anna Letitia (1743-1825) was a poet, author of books for children and miscellaneous writer who supported radical causes. STC met her in Bristol in 1797 and at first admired her work and her ability to keep 'within the bounds of practical Reason', which he felt he could not do (Letters, I. 578). However, in a lecture in January 1812 he is reported by HCR to have criticised her poetry. Beaumont, Sir George Howland (1753-1827) was a patron of the arts and landscape painter. He lived at Coleorton, Leicestershire (he lent his house to WW in 1806) and in Grosvenor Square, London. On first meeting, he took a dislike to STC, but then lodged next door to him at Keswick and fell under his spell. He offered WW land at Applethwaite in the Lake District to be near his friend. He helped STC to establish the Friend and, in later life, procure a pension. He was largely responsible for establishing the National Gallery. In his Select Who's Who 163 last years he may have become disillusioned with STC, as in his will he left Mrs C £50 and STC nothing (but see next entry). Beaumont, Margaret, Lady (nee Willes) (7-1829) married Sir George Beaumont in 1778. 'She is a deep enthusiast, sensitive, trembles and cannot keep the tears in her eye ... you may wind her up with any music' (STC in letter to WW, 1803). In her will she left STC £50. Beddoes, Dr Thomas (1760-1808) was a physician. He set up the Pneumatic Institute at Clifton, Bristol (where he employed the young Humphrey Davy). A convinced radical, he wrote anti-Pitt pam phlets. He supported STC in founding the Watchman, and corre sponded with him about opium addiction. His sudden death upset STC greatly: 'Dr Beddoes' death has taken more Hope out of my Life, than any event I can remember' (letter to Montagu, 1819). Betham, Mary Mathilda (1776-1852), a miniature painter, painted Mrs C and daughter Sara. STC wrote a poem to her, dated 9 September 1802. Bowles, William Lisle (1762-1850) was a poet, divine and anti quary. STC was greatly influenced by his Sonnets (1789) while he was at Christ's Hospital. He was in turn Rector of Chicklade, Wilt shire, and of Dumbleton, Gloucestershire, then Vicar of Bremhill, Wiltshire, where he constructed his well-known garden. STC even tually made his acquaintance and stayed with him at Bremhill, writ ing comments on Bowles's poetry, during his year with the Morgans at CaIne in 1815. Bowyer, Reverend James (also spelt Boyer) (1736-1814) was Upper Master at Christ's Hospital. He had been educated there and at Balliol. There is a detailed description of him in Lamb's 'Christ's Hospital Five-and-thirty Years Ago' in Essays of Elia, and STC also sketched his character in BL (Biographical Supplement). He kept a Liber Aureus of boys' work he admired; STC appears in it several times. Despite his severity, STC wrote gratefully of him in BL. Buller, Francis (later Sir Francis) (1746-1800) was the third son of James (below), a pupil of John Coleridge, and boarded with the family at Ottery. He became the youngest-ever judge in 1778 at the 164 A Coleridge Chronology age of 32. As Judge Buller, he procured for STC a Presentation at Christ's Hospital. Buller, James, of Downes, near Crediton, Devon, is supposed to have been the 'kind gentleman' who befriended John Coleridge on his father's bankruptcy and set him up as a schoolmaster. He settled eventually at Morval in Cornwall. Burnett, George (1776-1811), the son of a well-to-do Somerset farmer, was refused by Martha Fricker. He was deeply committed to Pantisocracy and became its 'waif'. He could not settle to any profes sion, becoming Unitarian minister, army surgeon, hack writer. John Rickman (q.v.) gave him work on the census. He took to opium, and later abused STC and Southey as the cause of his downfall. He died miserably in the workhouse in Marylebone at the age of 35. Caldwell, George was STCs 'earliest friend' at Jesus College, Cam bridge. Later, he became a Fellow and Tutor at Jesus. He was still in touch with STC in 1813. Cary, Henry Francis (1772-1844), scholar and translator, who trans lated The Divine Comedy in 1814. It was highly praised by STC, who persuaded Taylor and Hessey to publish a second edition in 1819. He met STC at Littlehampton in 1817 and became a friend. Carlyon, Clement, MD (1777-1864), an English physician and travel ler, met STC in Hanover in 1799 and travelled in his party on the expedition to the Brocken. He accompanied him as far as Brunswick on his way home. Later, he and George Greenhough (q.v.) published their own account of the trip. He published four volumes of Early Years and Late Reflections (1836-58), which are valuable for their insights into STC, Humphrey Davy and others. Chester, John, was a farmer from Nether Stowey. A great admirer of STC, he was his companion on the trip to Germany (1798) and studied German agriculture on the journey. Clarkson, Catherine (nee Buck) (1772-1856) was a childhood friend of Crabb Robinson, whom he introduced to STC, CL and WW. She married Thomas Clarkson (see next entry). One of DW's closest friends, she was also for a time very close to STC, who thought of her Select Who's Who 165 in 1811 as a twin sister: 'She has all that is good in me, and all that is innocent' (Letter to HCR, 12 March 1811). However, she became embroiled in the quarrel with WW, grew disillusioned with STC after attempting in vain to persuade him to return north and seems to have faded from his life after 1813. Clarkson, Thomas (1760-1846), reformer and vice-president of the Anti-slavery Society, lived at Eusemere near Penrith. He and his wife (see previous entry) moved to Bury St Edmunds in 1807. STC was a visitor there after his return from Malta. Coleridge, David Hartley (1796-1849) was STC's first child.