Anne Isabella Noel Byron, 11th Baroness Wentworth and Baroness Byron (; 17 May 1792 – 16 May 1860), nicknamed Annabella and commonly known as Lady Byron, was an educational reformer and philanthropist who established
the first industrial school in England, and was an active
abolitionist
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world.
The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...
. She married the poet George Gordon Byron, more commonly known as
Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...
, and separated from him after less than a year, keeping their daughter
Ada Lovelace
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (''née'' Byron; 10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852), also known as Ada Lovelace, was an English mathematician and writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-pur ...
in her custody despite laws at the time giving fathers sole custody of children.
Lady Byron's reminiscences, published after her death by
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and wrote the popular novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (185 ...
, revealed her fears about alleged incest between Lord Byron and his half-sister. The scandal about Lady Byron's suspicions accelerated Byron's intentions to leave England and return to the Mediterranean where he had lived in 1810.
Their daughter, Ada, worked as a mathematician with
Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage (; 26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer.
Babbage is considered ...
, the pioneer of computer science, and is known as the first programmer.
Names and family
Lady Byron was born Anne Isabella Milbanke, the only child of
Sir Ralph Milbanke, 6th Baronet, and his wife, the
Hon. Judith Noel (1751-1822), sister of
Thomas Noel, Viscount Wentworth.
Her father's only surviving sibling was
Elizabeth Lamb, Viscountess Melbourne, the influential political hostess. Her children, Anne's cousins, were:
* Hon.
Peniston Lamb (1770–1805)
*
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
Henry William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne (15 March 177924 November 1848) was a British Whig (political faction), Whig politician who served as the Home Secretary and twice as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
His first premiership end ...
(1779–1848)
*
Frederick Lamb, 3rd Viscount Melbourne (1782–1853)
* Hon.
George Lamb (1784–1834)
*
Emily Lamb, Countess Cowper (1787–1869)
* Harriet Lamb (1789–1803)
Her mother's only surviving sibling had no legitimate heirs, but he did have one son before his marriage, named after him, Thomas Noel; he became a clergyman.
When Anne's maternal uncle died, a few months after her marriage to Lord Byron, Lady Milbanke and her cousin Lord Scarsdale jointly inherited his estate. The family subsequently
took the surname Noel over Milbanke.
Lord Wentworth had been both a viscount and a baron. Upon his death the viscountcy became extinct, and the barony fell into
abeyance
Abeyance (from the Old French ' meaning "gaping") describes a state of temporary dormancy or suspension. In law, it can refer to a situation where the ownership of property, titles, or office is not currently Vesting, vested in any specific perso ...
between Lady Milbanke and
Lord Scarsdale. After their deaths the barony passed to Lady Byron and she became Baroness Wentworth in her own right; however she did not use the title. She signed her letters "A. I. Noel Byron" and her will as "Baroness Noel-Byron". The world knew her as "Lady Byron", and her friends and family called her by her nickname, "Annabella".
Youth
She was a gifted child. To cultivate her obvious intelligence, her parents hired as her tutor a former
Cambridge University
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
professor by the name of
William Frend. Under his direction, her education proceeded much like that of a Cambridge student; her studies involved classical literature, philosophy, science and mathematics, in which she particularly delighted. This fascination led her husband to nickname her his "princess of
parallelogram
In Euclidean geometry, a parallelogram is a simple polygon, simple (non-list of self-intersecting polygons, self-intersecting) quadrilateral with two pairs of Parallel (geometry), parallel sides. The opposite or facing sides of a parallelogram a ...
s".
Annabella developed into a stiff, religious woman with strict morals. She was aware of her strong intellect and was not ashamed to demonstrate it in her social realm. Often described as cold and prim, she seemed an unlikely match for the man who would become her ultimate obsession, the dramatically dark and "morally fractured" poet
Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...
. Their first meeting occurred in March 1812. She later said to her mother that though she would not venture to introduce herself to Lord Byron, she would certainly accept his introduction if it were offered.
Byron's popularity was soaring following the success of his work ''
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
''Childe Harold's Pilgrimage: A Romaunt'' is a long narrative poem in four parts written by Lord Byron. The poem was published between 1812 and 1818. Dedicated to " Ianthe", it describes the travels and reflections of a young man disillusioned ...
''. Annabella met him on many social occasions as he began a relationship with
Lady Caroline Lamb, the wife of her cousin,
William Lamb. However, Byron was attracted to her modesty and intellect and in October 1812 he proposed marriage through her aunt, the well-connected political hostess
Elizabeth Lamb, Viscountess Melbourne. In response, she wrote a summary of his character and three days later refused him. However, they were plagued with a persistent interest in each other.
Although well aware of Byron's shortcomings, telling her mother "He is a very bad, very good man", she decided it was her religious obligation to support him and improve his behaviour.
[ ] In August 1813, she contacted him in writing for the first time. The letters continued into the next year, some offering reassurance and support during times when public opinion of him was not favorable, others describing the "imperfect attachment" she felt for him. During this time, he accepted an invitation from Sir Ralph Milbanke to visit
Seaham Hall, the family home in
County Durham
County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...
.
Marriage
When George Gordon Byron proposed a second time, in September 1814, she did accept. The couple were married privately, and by special licence, at
Seaham Hall in
County Durham
County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...
on 2 January 1815. The officiating clergyman was her cousin, the Rev. Thomas Noel of
Kirkby Mallory, illegitimate son of her uncle,
Viscount Wentworth. The couple lived at
Piccadilly Terrace in London.
Byron was then in extreme financial distress. He rejected payments offered for his written works, as he believed business was not appropriate for a gentleman, and gave copyrights to people who had helped him. He was having difficulty selling his estates at
Newstead Abbey and
Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...
to clear his debt. During the summer of 1815 he began to unleash his anger and hostility on his wife. His moods were dark and he began to drink heavily. In
a letter to his half-sister,
Augusta Leigh
Augusta Maria Leigh (''née'' Byron; 26 January 1783 – 12 October 1851) was the only surviving daughter of John Byron (British Army officer), John "Mad Jack" Byron, the poet Lord Byron's father, by his first wife, Amelia Osborne, Marchiones ...
, he stated his suspicions that his wife had broken the lock on his desk and searched it. Later that year he began an affair with
Susan Boyce, a London actress at Drury Lane Theatre, where he was a director.

Annabella became increasingly upset. In the late stages of pregnancy, she feared her husband might be going mad. In November 1815 she wrote to Augusta and told her of Byron's moods and behaviour. In answer to her sister-in-law's letter, Augusta travelled to the Byrons' home to assist. Upon her arrival she became the subject of Byron's wrath and believed him to be temporarily insane. On 10 December Annabella gave birth to the couple's only child, a daughter whom they named
Ada. Byron's despair seemed to increase.
Separation
In January 1816, as the Byrons passed their first anniversary, Byron decided they must move from the rented house at Piccadilly Terrace. He recommended that Annabella take their daughter to her parents' home and stay there temporarily until he settled their finances. In disbelief, Anne sought medical advice, as she had become convinced her husband had gone mad. She invited a physician to their home to assess him; Byron was unaware of the true purpose for the visit. The doctor recommended she do as Byron requested and move to her parents' estate.
Annabella began a detailed documentation of her husband's behaviour, moods and speech. She contacted his solicitor and friend, John Hanson, and told him her concern that her husband would take his life. She also provided Hanson with a pamphlet on
hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up within the brain, which can cause pressure to increase in the skull. Symptoms may vary according to age. Headaches and double vision are common. Elderly adults with n ...
, accompanied by notes that suggested Byron could have this particular condition. Following this conversation, she took Ada and travelled to her parents' residence at
Kirkby Mallory in
Leicestershire
Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...
. She would not see her husband again.
Educational reformist and abolitionist
Lady Byron committed herself to social causes, such as
prison reform
Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, improve the effectiveness of a penal system, reduce recidivism or implement alternatives to incarceration. It also focuses on ensuring the reinstatement of those whose lives are ...
and the
abolition of slavery
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world.
The first country to fully outlaw slavery was France in 1315, but it was later used in its colonies. T ...
. In furtherance of the latter, Lady Byron attended the 1840
World Anti-Slavery Convention, where she was one of the few women included in its commemorative painting.
[The Anti-Slavery Society Convention](_blank)
, 1840, Benjamin Robert Haydon
Benjamin Robert Haydon (; 26 January 178622 June 1846) was a British painter who specialised in grand historical pictures, although he also painted a few contemporary subjects and portraits. His commercial success was damaged by his often tactle ...
, accessed 19 July 2008
Lady Byron lived in
Ealing
Ealing () is a district in west London (sub-region), west London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. It is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Pl ...
between around 1822 and 1840, and established
Ealing Grove School.
Daughter
As her daughter grew up, Lady Byron feared she might inherit her father's behaviours and dark moods. She schooled Ada in science and mathematics and discouraged literary study. Though her effort was great, it eventually seemed in vain:
Ada Lovelace
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (''née'' Byron; 10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852), also known as Ada Lovelace, was an English mathematician and writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-pur ...
embodied many of her father's rebellious qualities. She is also considered to have been the world's first
computer programmer
A programmer, computer programmer or coder is an author of computer source code someone with skill in computer programming.
The professional titles ''software developer'' and ''software engineer'' are used for jobs that require a progr ...
, having written the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine—
Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage (; 26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer.
Babbage is considered ...
's
analytical engine.
Ada married
William, Lord King (who took the surname King-Noel), when she was 19. William was subsequently made the 1st Earl Lovelace, and the couple had three children,
Byron King-Noel, Viscount Ockham and 12th Baron Wentworth;
Anne Blunt, 15th Baroness Wentworth, who brought the Arabian horse to England; and
Ralph King-Milbanke, 2nd Earl of Lovelace. Ada amassed considerable gambling debts, once losing £3,200 before dying from uterine cancer on 27 November 1852. Lady Byron attended her daughter's deathbed and, under her influence, Ada underwent a religious conversion. Ada was 36 years old when she died, the same age as Byron when he died.
Later life

During her first month away from him, Annabella wrote to Byron affectionately, addressing him as "dearest Duck". Meanwhile, she and her parents sought legal counsel. Their attorney recommended a legal separation and sent Byron a letter proposing the separation. Augusta Leigh, who had remained with Byron at Piccadilly Terrace since his wife's departure, intercepted the letter, as she feared he would commit
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death.
Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
if he knew of it. She returned the letter to Kirkby Mallory and communicated her opinion that greater consideration should be taken in the matter of the Byrons' marriage. A week later, however, a messenger sent Lord Byron the proposal again.
This time it reached him, but he refused to believe that she no longer wanted to be married to him. He asked Mrs Leigh to write to her; in addition, he refused to dissolve their marriage. A short while later, when Lady Byron made clear her suspicions that his relationship with his half-sister Augusta Leigh was incestuous, that he had had homosexual relationships, and had sodomised her – Lady Byron – acts which were illegal, he changed his mind. He agreed to grant her request if she proved that the request for legal separation was truly hers and not that of her parents. In response, she personally communicated her feelings to Augusta. Byron kept his word, and their separation was made legal in March 1816, in a private settlement.
Following the settlement, Augusta wrote to Annabella; the latter's solicitor replied to the private note. Byron was enraged by such cold treatment of his half-sister. Soon after the dissolution of his marriage, he left
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and lived the remainder of his days abroad. Though she wished to separate from her husband, Annabella was obsessed by him until her death. She was motivated to save his soul and secure him a place in Heaven. In the years following their separation, she came to believe that the time she had spent with him guaranteed he would experience God's embrace upon his death. She kept his letters, copies of her own to him, and letters about him. She carefully documented their relationship, supposedly in preparation for any challenge Lord Byron might make for custody of their daughter.
Byron never sought custody of Ada, though he sent for both of them shortly before his death in
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
on 19 April 1824. Lady Byron's obsession with him did not end with his death. Ultimately her relationship with him defined her life.
Death
Lady Byron died of breast cancer on 16 May 1860, the day before her 68th birthday. She was buried in
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of North Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in P ...
at
Kensal Green
Kensal Green, also known as Kensal Rise, is an area in north-west London, and along with Kensal Town, it forms part of the northern section of North Kensington, London, North Kensington. It lies north of the canal in the London Borough of Brent ...
in London. Prior to her death, she shared the story of her marriage to Byron with
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and wrote the popular novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (185 ...
, who encouraged her to remain silent.
In 1869
Stowe published the account given to her, the first time anyone had publicly hinted at an incestuous relationship between Byron and his half-sister.
[ (Ebook available a]
Project Gutenberg
) Stowe was criticized for writing a supposedly "indecent" article and lost popularity.
Initially biographers criticized Lady Byron as "small-minded;" more recent works have provided a fuller picture of her accomplishments.
Lady Byron's barony passed to her grandson
Byron King-Noel, Viscount Ockham.
In her will she left a £300 legacy to the writer
George MacDonald, whom she had patronized during her life.
Lady Byron Lane, off Knowle Road, Solihull, is named after her. Lady Byron was heiress of the Knowle estates through her father, Sir Ralph Milbanke Noel.
Arms
References
Bibliography
* Markus, Julia. ''Lady Byron and her Daughters''. New York:
Norton, 2015.
* Elwin, Malcolm, ''Lord Byron's Family: Annabella, Ada and Augusta, 1816-1824'', London: John Murray, 1975.
* Elwin, Malcolm, ''Lord Byron's Wife'', London: Macdonald, 1962.
* Elwin, Malcolm, ''The Noels and the Milbankes'', London: Macdonald, 1967.
* Lodge, Edmund,
Norroy King of Arms
Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is the provincial King of Arms at the College of Arms with jurisdiction over England north of the River Trent, Trent and Northern Ireland. The two offices of Norroy and Ulster were formerly separate. Norroy King of ...
, ''The Peerage of the British Empire'', London, 1858, p. 588, under 'Anne Isabella Noel-Byon, Baroness Wentworth of Nettlested.'
*
External links
*
*
*
A Guide to the Lady Byron Manuscript Material in the Pforzheimer Collection at the New York Public LibraryOxford Dictionary of National Biography
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byron, Lady
Anne
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), Annie a ...
*11
Anne Isabella Byron, Baroness Byron
1792 births
1860 deaths
19th-century English people
19th-century English women
Wentworth, Anne Noel-Byron, 11th Baroness
Daughters of baronets
Godwin family
Women of the Regency era
People from Pittington
Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery
Deaths from breast cancer in the United Kingdom