The Social Life of a Georgian Novelist
$44.95
Skip to product information
A window into late Georgian society, Elizabeth Hervey's journals reveal a novelist's social world, family, health, and finances.
Stored away and forgotten for 200 years, the private journals of Elizabeth Hervey (1749-1820) vividly describe her life and times. Her teenage years were spent in luxury at Fonthill Splendens, home of her stepfather, Alderman William Beckford. She married a handsome army officer who turned out to be a gambler, and with him fled abroad to escape his creditors. Soon widowed and with two small children, she returned to England, and after a brief affair with a political radical poet, settled in London. Intelligent, independent and well-educated, Herveybecame associated with Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill set and the Bluestockings. Every day she wrote her journal, vividly describing theatre visits, family dramas, servants, friends, society gossip, politics, her visits to country houses and lengthy tours at home and abroad. As a novelist she was first published in 1788, launching a career that, while earning her a living, put strain on her relationship with her half-brother, William Beckford, author of the classic gothic novel Vathek and builder of the infamous Fonthill Abbey. Theirs was a complex relationship, marred by literary rivalry, and after a quarrel in 1798 they never met again.
Over the years Hervey's social network widened to include Lord Byron, Richard and Maria Cosway, the Duchess of Devonshire, Eva Garrick, Lady Hamilton and Sarah Siddons. Yet just as vivid in her journals are her accounts of her household servants, her relationship with her sons, her problems with ill health (and drastic remedies) and her financial ups and downs. As a lively and entertaining window into late Georgian society, there are few sources to rival Elizabeth Hervey's journals.
The Social Life of a Georgian Novelist
$44.95
Unit price
$44.95 each
Description
Stored away and forgotten for 200 years, the private journals of Elizabeth Hervey (1749-1820) vividly describe her life and times. Her teenage years were spent in luxury at Fonthill Splendens, home of her stepfather, Alderman William Beckford. She married a handsome army officer who turned out to be a gambler, and with him fled abroad to escape his creditors. Soon widowed and with two small children, she returned to England, and after a brief affair with a political radical poet, settled in London. Intelligent, independent and well-educated, Herveybecame associated with Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill set and the Bluestockings. Every day she wrote her journal, vividly describing theatre visits, family dramas, servants, friends, society gossip, politics, her visits to country houses and lengthy tours at home and abroad. As a novelist she was first published in 1788, launching a career that, while earning her a living, put strain on her relationship with her half-brother, William Beckford, author of the classic gothic novel Vathek and builder of the infamous Fonthill Abbey. Theirs was a complex relationship, marred by literary rivalry, and after a quarrel in 1798 they never met again.
Over the years Hervey's social network widened to include Lord Byron, Richard and Maria Cosway, the Duchess of Devonshire, Eva Garrick, Lady Hamilton and Sarah Siddons. Yet just as vivid in her journals are her accounts of her household servants, her relationship with her sons, her problems with ill health (and drastic remedies) and her financial ups and downs. As a lively and entertaining window into late Georgian society, there are few sources to rival Elizabeth Hervey's journals.
Book Details
- ISBN
- 9781036156350
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Authors
- Dianne Barre
- Publisher
- Fonthill Media
- Published Date
- August 15, 2026
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 240
Shipping Policy
We offer flat-rate shipping of $5.95 on all standard orders within the contiguous United States.
Orders are typically processed within 1–2 business days and delivered within 4–7 business days from purchase.
Once your order ships, you will receive a tracking number via email. Please allow 24–48 hours for tracking updates to appear.
Refund Policy
All sales are final. We do not accept returns or offer refunds except in rare circumstances. Please reach out to us with any questions or concerns regarding your order.
If your item arrives damaged, defective, or incorrect, contact us within 60 days of delivery with your order number and photos of the item/packaging. Approved claims will receive a free replacement (refunds only if replacement is unavailable).
Authorized returns are accepted only in rare cases at our discretion and may be subject to restocking fees.
Unauthorized returns and returns after 60 days will not be accepted.