Edward Heneage Dering (1826–1892) was an English novelist of the Victorian era. He is largely remembered today as a member of "The Quartet" at Baddesley Clinton, with marriages to two artistic women.

Biography

He was the younger son of Cholmeley Edward John Dering,

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

Pluckley Pluckley is a village and civil parish in the Ashford district of Kent, England. The civil parish includes the adjacent hamlet of Pluckley Thorne. Geography The landscape of the area itself is the edge of a well-drained plain, with the lowest ...

, Kent, and

prebendary A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of th ...

of St Paul's Cathedral. He joined the 68th Foot as an ensign in 1844, and in 1848 was a lieutenant in the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

. Having caught

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

in Italy, he sold out his commission and left the army in 1851. In 1859 Dering married fellow author Lady

Georgiana Chatterton Georgiana, Lady Chatterton, later Mrs Dering (''née'' Iremonger; 11 November 1806 – 6 February 1876) was an English aristocrat, traveller, and author. Her first travelogue, ''Rambles in the South of Ireland,'' was published in 1839. Life Hen ...

. Dering converted to Catholicism in 1865 From 1869, the couple lived at Baddesley Clinton with Georgiana's niece Rebecca Dulcibella Orpen and her husband Marmion Edward Ferrers. While living there, they paid for improvements to the house and paid off mortgages taken out on the estate. Lady Georgiana became a Catholic convert in 1875, according to John Sutherland under the influence of her husband's view of Catholicism in ''Sherborne'', published that year. She died at Baddesley Clinton in 1876 and two years later Dering published ''Memoirs of Georgiana, Lady Chatterton'' Dering continued to live at Baddesley Clinton, chaperoned by a Catholic priest after the death of Rebecca's husband in 1884; in 1885 the couple were married. Edward was responsible for more improvements to the house, including a new

service wing Servants' quarters are those parts of a building, traditionally in a private house, which contain the domestic offices and staff accommodation. From the late 17th century until the early 20th century, they were a common feature in many large ...

in 1890.

Death and legacy

Dering died at Baddesley Clinton in 1892 and much of his personal library, along with those of his wives, remains in the house today. The collections there also include several portraits of Dering painted by Rebecca Dering, including "The philosopher's morning walk", which shows him in his favoured old-fashioned clothes in front of the moat at Baddesley Clinton.

Works

Dering published novels including: * ''Lethelier'' (1860) * ''A Great Sensation'' (1862) * ''Grey's Court'' (1865) * ''Florence Danby'' (1868) * ''Sherborne: or, The House at the Four Ways'' (1875) * ''Freville Chase'' (1880) * ''The Lady of Raven's Combe'' (1891) * ''The Ban of Mablethorpe'' (1894). These works were generally poorly reviewed. ''The Chieftains's Daughter'' (1870) was a volume of verse. Dering concerned himself with neo-Thomist thought. He published English translations of works by the Jesuit philosopher

Matteo Liberatore Matteo Liberatore (born at Salerno, Italy, 14 August 1810; died at Rome, 18 October 1892) was an Italian Jesuit philosopher, theologian, and writer. He helped popularize the Jesuit periodical '' Civiltà Cattolica'' in close collaboration with th ...

. Works against

theosophy Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion ...

were: * ''Esoteric Buddhism'' (1887) attacked the works of

Alfred Percy Sinnett Alfred Percy Sinnett (18 January 1840 – 26 June 1921) was an English author and theosophist. Biography Sinnett was born in London. His father died while he was young, as in 1851 Sinnett was listed as a "Scholar – London University", liv ...

. * ''The Philosopher of Rovereto'' (1888), criticism of the posthumously-published ''Teosofia'' of

Antonio Rosmini Blessed Antonio Francesco Davide Ambrogio Rosmini-Serbati (; Rovereto, 25 March 1797 Stresa, 1 July 1855) was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and philosopher. He founded the Rosminians, officially the Institute of Charity or , pioneered th ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dering, Edward Heneage Victorian novelists 1826 births 1892 deaths People from Pluckley