Fun Facts Friday: Thomas Love Peacock

Thomas Love Peacock (18 October, 1785 – 23 January, 1866) was an English poet and novelist who satirized the novels of his day.

Books by Thomas Love Peacock*

Thomas Love Peacock:

1. Thomas Love Peacock was born to Samuel and Sarah Love Peacock in Weymouth, Dorset. His father was a glass merchant in London. Sadly his father passed away when the young man was nine years old, and he grew up with his mother’s family in Chertsey.
2. The young man’s first poem was an epitaph he wrote when he was 10 years old. Unfortunately, when he was taken out of school at age 13, and has been self-educated ever since.
3. Before his father’s annuity ran out, the young Mr. Peacock toured for a year in Scotland, alone and on foot.
4. Once back, he got a job as a private secretary to Sir Home Popham, and before long he was on HMS Venerable of the Royal Navy. He could not write poems on the “floating inferno”, but did write prologues for performance on board the ship.
5. By 1812, living in Maentwrog, he published his elaborate poem, The Philosophy of Melancholy.
6. He met Percy Bysshe Shelley the same year, and the two became close friends. At the time Shelley was still living in Windsor with his first wife Harriet who Mr. Peacock found kind and unpretentious.
7. Since he didn’t have neo-classical training, Thomas Love Peacock found his niche by writing satirical and topical novels.
8. Toward the end of his life, Mr. Peacock defended the reputation of Harriet Shelley from the slanders spread by the daughter-in-law of Shelley’s second wife.
9. London called Mr. Peacock in 1819 to work for the East India Company which needed talented people. He worked there until 1856 when his zeal for writing returned.
10. Using his generous pension from the East India Company, he could spend the rest of his life with his books and garden.

Books by Thomas Love Peacock*

Zohar – Man of la Book
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account, the money is usually spent on books

Sources:

Thomas Love Peacock | Wikipedia

Thomas Love Peacock / UPenn

Thomas Love Peacock: English author | Britannica