[1] Three volumes of verse by Frederick Tennyson have appeared, viz.:
_Days and Hours_ (1854); _Isles of Greece; Sappho and Alcaeus_ (1890);
_Daphne, and Other Poems_ (1801). The published works of Charles Turner
are as follows: _Sonnets and Fugitive Pieces_ (1830); _Sonnets_ (1864);
_Small Tableaux_ (1868); _Sonnets, Lyrics and Translations_ (1873);
_Collected Sonnets, Old and New_ (1880). Edward Tennyson (1813-1890)
achieved something of a reputation as a versifier; he contributed a sonnet
to the _Yorkshire Annual_ for 1832.
[2] Edward Fitzgerald, in a letter written in 1835, says: "I will say no
more of Tennyson than that the more I have seen of him, the more cause I
have to think him great. His little humours and grumpinesses were so
droll, that I was always laughing.... I felt what Charles Lamb describes,
a sense of depression at times from the overshadowing of a so much more
lofty intellect than my own."--_Letters and Literary Remains_, vol. i.
[3] "Tennyson has been in town for some time: he has been making fresh
poems, which are finer, they say, than any he has done. But I believe he
is chiefly meditating on the purging and subliming of what he has already
done: and repents that he has published at all yet. It is fine to see how
in each succeeding poem the smaller ornaments and fancies drop away, and
leave the grand ideas single."--_Letters of Edward Fitzgerald_, vol. i.,
p. 21.
Extract from a letter dated October 23, 1833.
[4] "Alfred Tennyson dined with us. I am always a little disappointed with
the exterior of our poet when I look at him, in spite of his eyes, which
are very fine; but his head and face, striking and dignified as they are,
are almost too ponderous and massive for beauty in so young a man; and
every now and then there is a slightly sarcastic expression about his
mouth that almost frightens me, in spite of his shy manner and habitual
silence."--Fanny Kemble's _Records of a Girlhood_, pp. 519-20.
This entry in Fanny Kemble's journal is dated June 16, 1832.
[5] Fitzgerald, in a letter written in London (April, 1838) says: "We have
had Alfred Tennyson here; very droll, and very wayward: and much sitting
up of nights till two and three in the morning with pipes in our mouths:
at which good hour we would get Alfred to give us some of his magic music,
which he does between growling and smoking."--_Letters and Literary
Remains_, vol. i., pp. 42, 43.
[6] Milnes, in a letter dated July 20, 1856, gives this glimpse of the
Laureate's domestic life: "He is himself much happier than he used to be,
and devoted to his children, who are beautiful."--_Reid's Life of Lord
Houghton_, Vol. I.
[7] The time of Tennyson's removal from Twickenham to Farringford can be
fixed with tolerable definiteness. Fitzgerald writes (Oct. 25, 1853): "I
am going to see the last of the Tennysons at Twickenham;" and again (in
December, 1853): "I hear from Mrs. Alfred they are got to their new abode
in the Isle of Wight."--_Letters and Literary Remains_, vol. i., pp.
225-6.
[8] In 1865, Alfred Tennyson was elected a member of the Royal Society; in
1869, an honorary fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge; and, in 1884,
president of the Incorporated Society of Authors. He is also president of
the London Library.
[9] "An interesting fact relating to the poet's descent may here be
mentioned. His mother's mother (Mrs. Fytche) was a granddaughter of a
certain Mons. Fauvelle, a French Huguenot, who was related to Madame de
Maintenon."--Church's _Laureate's Country_, p. 10.
[10] Edward Fitzgerald, in a letter written soon after Charles Turner's
death (April 25, 1879), says: "Tennyson's elder, not eldest, brother is
dead; and I was writing only yesterday to persuade Spedding to insist on
Macmillan publishing a complete edition of Charles' Sonnets: graceful,
tender, beautiful, and quite original little things."--_Letters and
Literary Remains_, vol. i., p. 437.
[11] Mary Tennyson (1810-1884) married the Hon. Alan Ker, Puisine Judge of
the Supreme Court of Jamaica.
[12] Emily Tennyson (1811-1887), who was betrothed to Arthur Hallam about
1830, became the wife of Capt. Richard Jesse, R. N.
[13] The Hon. Lionel Tennyson was attacked by jungle fever during a visit
to India, and died on board the Chusan, near Aden, April 20, 1886, aged
thirty-two. He was a profound student of dramatic poetry, and would have
won a name for himself in literature. For several years he was connected
with the India office, and prepared a masterly report on "The Moral and
Material Condition of India," for 1881-82. In 1878, he married the
accomplished daughter of Frederick Locker. The eldest of their three sons
is the "golden-haired Ally" who inspired the well-known verses of his
grandfather.
[14] "Queen Mary" was produced at the Lyceum Theatre, London, in April,
1876--Miss Bateman as Mary and Irving as Philip.
[15] "The Cup" was played at the Lyceum in January, 1881--Irving taking
the part of Synorix and Miss Terry that of Camma.
[16] "The Falcon" was presented at St. James' Theatre, London, in
December, 1879--Mr. Kendal playing the role of Count Federigo and Mrs.
Kendal that of Lady Giovanna.
[17] "The Promise of May" was performed at the Globe Theatre, London,
(Nov. 11-Dec. 16, 1882), with Mrs. Bernard-Beere as Dora, Miss Emmeline
Ormsby as Eva, Mr. Hermann Vezin as Edgar and Mr. Charles Kelly as Dobson.
[18] "The Foresters" was produced at Daly's Theatre, New York, (Mar.
17-April 22, 1892),--Mr. John Drew in the role of Robin Hood and Miss Ada
Rehan as Maid Marian.
[19] Walter's _In Tennyson Land_, p. 62.
[20] Appleton's _Cyclopedia_, vol. xv., p. 651.
[21] Johnson's _Cyclopedia_, vol. vii., p. 755.
[22] _Ibid._
[23] J. H. Ward, in _Atlantic Monthly_, Sept., 1879.
[24] _Encyclopedia Americana_, vol. iv., p. 660.
[25] J. A. Graham, in _Art Journal_, Feb., 1891.
[26] Lodge's _Peerage_ (1888), p. 597.
[27] _Art Journal_, Feb., 1891.
[28] _Atlantic Monthly_, Sept., 1879.
[29] A full transcript of the inscription on the rector's tomb is given in
Church's _Laureate's Country_ (p. 27), a work that is simply invaluable to
students of Tennyson.
"Somersby and Bag Enderby are hamlets about one quarter of a mile apart,"
says Gatty, "and are held by one Rector, who now resides at the latter
place."--_Key to "In Memoriam."_ Preface.
"Not far from the south-eastern extremity of this Wold country is the
little village of Somersby. The nearest town to it is Horncastle, which is
six miles to the south-east.... Somersby is something less than fifteen
miles from the sea."--Church's _Laureate's Country_.
[30] C. J. Caswell, in _Notes and Queries_, March 14, 1891. Van Dyke's
_Poetry of Tennyson_, p. 323.
[31] Dawson's _Makers of Modern English_, p. 169.
[32] _The Graphic_, (Chicago), Nov. 14, 1891.
[33] _The Tribune_, (Chicago), March 26, 1892, p. 14.
[34] Jenkins' _Handbook of British and American Literature_, p. 400.
Emerson's _Parnassus_, p. xxxiii. Friswell's _Modern Men of Letters_, p.
152. Collier's _History of English Literature_, p. 472. Angus' _Handbook
of English Literature_, p. 274. Fogh's _Nordish Con.-Lex._, vol. v., p.
665. Hoefer's _Nouvelle Biog. Gen._, vol. 44. Lorenz _Cat. Lib. Fran._,
vol. vi., p. 607. Bleibtreu's _Geschichte Eng. Lit._, p. 364. Fischer's
_Ausgewaehlte Gedichte v. A Tennyson_, p. 1. Waldmueller Duboc's
_Freundes-Klage_, p. 6. Faccioli's _A. Tennyson--Idilli Liriche_, etc., p.
ix.
[35] _Poets and Problems_, p. 73.
I am indebted to Mr. C. J. Caswell for his thorough investigations of
Tennyson's boyhood. See _Pall Mall Gazette_, June 19, 1890.
[36] Brockhaus' _Conversations-Lex._, vol. xv., p. 559.
[37] _Lives of English Authors_ (1890), p. 308.
[38] Johnson's _Cyclopedia_, vol. vii., p. 755.
[39] Cook's _Poets and Problems_, p. 73.
[40] Cassell's _Lib. Eng. Lit._, Shorter Poems, p. 465.
[41] Church's _Laureate's Country_, p. 74. Van Dyke's _Poetry of
Tennyson_, p. 323.
Frederick Tennyson (a co-heir of the Earls of Scarsdale) was born June 5,
1807. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he
distinguished himself by writing Greek verse--winning the prize for a
Sapphic ode on "Egypt." He married an Italian lady, Maria Guiliotta, now
dead, by whom he had two sons--Julius and Alfred,--and three
daughters--Elise, Emily, Matilda. For many years he lived at Tenby in
South Wales; at present he resides in Jersey, and devotes himself to his
favorite Hellenic studies and to poetry.
Charles Tennyson Turner (born July 4, 1808, died April 25, 1879) attended
Louth Grammar School (1815-21), and then was fitted for college at home.
At Trinity, he did admirable work in the classics--obtaining a Bell
scholarship. In 1836, he became vicar of Grasby, where he passed the
greater part of his life, well-known for his good works. In 1838, he
acquired property left him by his great-uncle, Rev. S. Turner, and assumed
the name of Turner by royal license. He married Louisa Sellwood, youngest
sister of Lady Tennyson; he died at Cheltenham.
[42] "In 1872, Mr. Tennyson purchased a small estate on the top of
Blackdown."
_Laureate's Country_, ch. XVI. On the other hand, _Every Saturday_, for
Jan. 1, 1870, says:
"Mr. Tennyson has recently built himself a second residence, in a
picturesque valley in Surrey." "In 1867," says Jennings in his _Lord
Tennyson_ (p. 190), "it was announced that Tennyson had purchased the
Greenhill estate on the borders of Sussex."
This statement is corroborated by a letter of Milnes, dated July 30, 1867:
"Our expedition to Tennyson's was a moral success, but a physical
failure.... The bard was very agreeable, and his wife and son delightful.
He has built himself a very handsome and commanding home in a most
inaccessible site, with every comfort he can require, and every discomfort
to all who approach him. What can be more poetical?"