The “Pope” of Holland House
John Whishaw to Thomas Smith, 24 December 1820
Bowood, Dec. 24, 1820.
We arrived at Bowood yesterday, after a very agreeable journey,
about a quarter of an hour after Miss
Edgeworth’s departure. I was much mortified to miss her, as
well as my friend Hallam, who also left
Bowood yesterday. It would give me great pleasure to find Miss
Edgeworth at Easton Grey, but I much fear that she will have left
you before Thursday, the day on which I propose being with you. I am sorry that the
young Romillys cannot avail themselves of your kind
invitation. I shall be under the necessity of returning from Easton Grey to Bowood,
having engaged to escort Mary Fox,1 Lord
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Holland’s surviving daughter (who has
been some time at Bowood), to London.
We have just heard that Peel is to succeed Canning,
as was expected.
George Canning (1770-1827)
Tory statesman; he was foreign minister (1807-1809) and prime minister (1827); a
supporter of Greek independence and Catholic emancipation.
Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849)
Irish novelist; author of
Castle Rackrent (1800)
Belinda (1801),
The Absentee (1812) and
Ormond (1817).
Henry Richard Fox, third baron Holland (1773-1840)
Whig politician and literary patron; Holland House was for many years the meeting place
for reform-minded politicians and writers. He also published translations from the Spanish
and Italian;
Memoirs of the Whig Party was published in 1852.
Henry Hallam (1777-1859)
English historian and contributor to the
Edinburgh Review, author
of
Introduction to the Literature of Europe, 4 vols (1837-39) and
other works. He was the father of Tennyson's Arthur Hallam.
Lady Mary Elizabeth Powys [née Fox] (1806-1891)
The daughter of Henry Richard Vassall Fox, third baron Holland; in 1830 she married
Thomas Atherton Powys, third baron Lilford.
