The Collected Letters of Charlotte Smith

Chronology

Chronology of Charlotte Smith’s Life 1748 Jan. Nicholas Turner and Anna Towers married. 1749 4 May Charlotte born in London, eldest child of Nicholas and Anna Towers Turner. 12 June Charlotte baptized at Stoke Park, the family seat, near Guildford in Sussex. 1752 Charlotte’s mother dies; her father travels abroad, leaving his three children in the care of their aunt, Lucy Towers. ca. 1755 Charlotte already reading, possibly already writing verse. ca. 1756–57 Charlotte in school in Chichester; drawing lessons from George Smith. 1757 Nicholas Turner returns from abroad, places children in school, possibly at Kensington. Charlotte excels in reading, composition, drawing, and acting. 1759–60 Charlotte’s family regularly resides at Bignor Park; Stoke Manor sold. 1761 Charlotte taken out of school and given expensive private lessons in music, drawing, dancing, and French; also introduced into society. 1764 30 Aug. Nicholas Turner marries Miss Henrietta Meritonof Chelsea for a settlement of £20,000. 1765 23 Feb. Charlotte marries Benjamin Smith. The couple lives for a few months with Benjamin’s sister Mary Berney, then moves to Cheapside in London with his parents. chronology 1766 CS’s ¤rst son born in spring, name and exact date unknown. Her demanding mother-in-law dies, and her friendship with her father-in-law grows. 1767 Richard Smith marries CS’s aunt, Lucy Towers, on or about Mar. 15. 30 Apr. Second child, Benjamin Berney, christened; ¤rst child dies during her pregnancy. Richard Smith provides BS and CS with a small house in Southgate, a village near London, but their children born there were christened at St. Faith under St. Paul’s. Catherine Ann Turner, CS’s sister, marries Capt.Michael Dorset. 1768 Third child, William Towers, born; exact date unknown. 1769 10 Apr. Fourth child and ¤rst daughter, Charlotte Mary, born; christened 2 May at St. Faith. 1770 19 July Fifth child, Brathwaite, christened at St. Faith. 1771 Smiths move to a larger residence in Tottenham, 5 miles from London. 4 Nov. Sixth child, Nicholas Hankey, christened at All Hallows Church, Tottenham. 1773 27 Feb. Seventh child, Charles Dyer, christened at All Hallows. 1774 18 June Eighth child, Anna Augusta, christened at All Hallows. Smiths move to Lys Farm, Hampshire (with seven children), where they live for the next nine years; Richard Smith resumes management of the West Indian business. 1776 17 Apr. Ninth child, Lucy Eleanor, christened at Hinton Ampner. 13 Oct. Richard Smith, CS’s father-in-law, dies, leaving estate worth about £36,000. 1777 1 June Eldest child, Benjamin Berney, age 11, dies of consumption at Hinton Ampner. 9 Oct. Tenth child, Lionel, born; christened 11 Nov. at Hinton Ampner . 1781 Benjamin Smith appointed sheriff of Southampton (Hampshire ). 1782 Apr. Eleventh child, Harriet Amelia, born; place uncertain. 1783 Dec. Benjamin Smith imprisoned for debt until July 1784; CS spends some of this time in jail with him. 1783–84 Lys Farm sold. xli # chronology 1784 June Elegiac Sonnets, and Other Poems printed by James Dodsley at CS’s expense, ¤rst and second editions; preface 10 May, Bignor Park. 2 July CS leaves prison with Benjamin; goes to Bignor Park where her brother Nicholas has kept her children. Oct. CS goes to Dieppe for a day to settle BS there; he is again in debt. 1784–85 CS and all the children spend winter with BS in Normandy near Dieppe. 1785 Feb. Twelfth child, George Augustus Frederick, born in Normandy . spring Smiths return to England and settle at Woolbeding, Sussex, by October. winter CS begins translating Manon Lescaut. 1786 Feb. Elegiac Sonnets, Dodsley, third and fourth editions; preface dated Woolbeding, 22 Mar. 18 June Brathwaite, age 16, dies after a 36-hour illness. ca. Sept. CS publishes and withdraws translation of Manon Lescaut. 1787 The Romance of Real Life (translated from Les cause célèbres by Gayot de Pitaval) published by Cadell. 15 Apr. CS separates from BS. summer CS and children living at Wyhe (nowcalled Wyke), near Guilford . 1788 10 Feb. CS at Norton St., Portland Place, London. Apr. Emmeline, the Orphan of the Castle published by Thomas Cadell, Sr. Revised second edition by end of year. William Towers leaves for India as a writer. 1789 Ethelinde, or the Recluse of the Lake, Cadell. Elegiac Sonnets, ¤fth subscription edition, Cadell; Emmeline, third edition, Cadell. 3 Feb. CS in London. 18 June CS living mainly at Brighton until Feb. 1793. 1790 Elegiac Sonnets...