Morgan, Sydney, Lady (1781-1859)

Morgan, Sydney, Lady

NOVELIST (IRELAND)

BORN 25 Dec 1781, Dublin - DIED 14 Apr 1859, London: 11 William Street, Knightsbridge
BIRTH NAME Owenson, Sydney
GRAVE LOCATION London: Brompton Cemetery, Old Brompton Road, West Brompton (AH 121.6 x 53.0)

Sydney Owenson was probably born on 25 December 1781 and perhaps earlier. She was certainly not born on 25 December 1785 as she stated herself. Her father was the actor and author Robert Owenson (1744-1812), her mother was Jane Hill. She was educated by her mother and at private schools. Her father ran a theatre in Fishamble Street in Dublin where she played the harp. After the family experienced financial difficulties in 1798, she worked as a governess and as a lady companion. Meanwhile she read widely and she started writing.

In 1804 her first novel "St. Clair" was influenced by Goethe and attracted attention. She made her name with "Wild Irish Girl" (1806). Her books were both praised and despised by different audiences. "The Missionary: An Indian Tale" (1811) was much liked by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Her last employer was Marchioness Abercorn, who arranged her marriage to the physician Thomas Charles Morgan, the surgeon of the marquess of Abercorn. She married him on 20 January 1812. After he was knighted, she was known as Sydney, Lady Morgan.

In 1814 she published her novel "O'Donnell". In 1817 she was accused of Jacobinism after she published "France", a study of France under the Bourbon Restoration. In 1821 "Italy" followed. She never met Lord Byron buy she knew several of his friends, including Thomas Moore (1779-1852) and Caroline Lamb (1785-1828). She admired Byron and cherished his memory after his death. Byron's last mistress Teresa Guiccioli had given her a lock of his hair and some lines of his hand writing in 1832, and she was deeply distressed when she lost the locket with the hair. In the 1820s whe was close to Caroline Lamb. Later Lord Melbourne, Caroline Lamb's husband, would grant Sydney a pension of £300 annually. She was the first woman ever to receive a civil-list pension.

Lady Morgan continued to write for the rest of her life. In 1837 she moved to Dublin with her husband. He died there in 1843. She befriended Geraldine Jewsbury, who wrote her memoirs for her. Sydney died in 1859 and she was buried at Brompton Cemetery in London. Her memoirs were published in 1862. They included Caroline Lamb's account of her affair with Lord Byron.

Related persons
• admired Byron, George Noel Gordon
• cooperated with Cooke, Thomas Simpson
• was a friend of Jewsbury, Geraldine
• was a friend of Lamb, Caroline

Images
Plaque for Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan) in Dublin at the house where she lived from 1813 to 1837. Picture by Androom (19 Aug 2016)	The grave of Sydney Morgan at Brompton Cemetery in London. Picture by Androom (16 Jun 2022)