The poet Alexander Pope was proud of his independence and of his social relations. Both a symbol and an embodiment of his beliefs, his villa and garden in Twickenham were built with the profits of his pen and provided a space where he could entertain his friends. His five-acre garden furnished much of the food that was served at his table; the local area provided much of the rest.
William Hogarth has been described as the father of English painting but over the course of his career he came into conflict with many people.
More images were created of the exterior of Alexander Pope’s Thameside villa than of any other private residence in the eighteenth century. After his death, his home and garden attracted so many visitors that a later owner razed the villa to the ground in order to preserve her privacy.
Discover why William Morris took out a joint tenancy on his Kelmscott Manor country home with the Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti when he knew how fond Rossetti was of his wife. Learn about the ensuing ménage à trois at Kelsmcott.
This talk will look at the life of Archibald Campbell, Bishop of London, and his family, including his daughter, Lucy Tait, who went on to have a close relationship with Mary Benson, the wife of the Archbishop of Canterbury.