This book goes back a long way. My mother loved Hardy and set his ‘Faintheart in a Railway Train’ to music, and my sister and I knew by heart ‘This is the weather the cuckoo likes’ and ‘When I set out for Lyonnesse’, like most children of our generation, I suppose. When I was fourteen my mother saw me with a library copy of Jude the Obscure and told me not to read it, advice I naturally ignored. I began to buy every Hardy volume I could find in second-hand bookshops – novels, poetry, memoirs. At Cambridge in the early 1950s I heard George Rylands read the ‘Poems of 1912–13’ in a lecture hall, an unforgettable experience. My first husband, Nick, and I were married by chance on the 85th anniversary of Hardy and Emma’s wedding day, 17 September 1955, but we realized its significance, and he gave me the Collected Poems as a wedding present.
In working on this book, which attempts to discuss Hardy’s work in the context of his life, I have relied on the labours of many others. First and foremost is Michael Millgate, the Grand Master of Hardy studies, who has not only edited Hardy’s letters and those of both Hardy’s wives, but also written two meticulously researched biographies of him and an essay on his testamentary intentions, as well as a study of the novels. His contribution to the study of Hardy is immense and invaluable. I met him for the first time about two weeks after I had finished writing this book and regret that it was not sooner. Like all who are interested in Hardy, I owe Professor Millgate a large debt.
I owe another debt to the late James Gibson, editor of one of the two Variorum editions of Hardy’s poetry, scholar, biographer and most generous of men. We first met, appropriately, in a Dorchester bookshop, and he immediately befriended and encouraged me. He and his wife Helen invited me to stay and drove me to some of the places I needed to see in Dorset. Before I left, he offered me the files he had compiled over many years in preparing his book Thomas Hardy: Interviews and Recollections. It was an extraordinarily generous gift, and I have used it gratefully. His death was a sad blow to all his friends, and I was fortunate to have known him. The Gibsons also introduced me to Andrew and Marilyn Leah at Max Gate, who gave me a princely welcome and allowed me to explore the whole house thoroughly.
Everyone at the Dorchester County Museum has been patient and helpful with my demands, particularly the Director, Judy Lindsay, and Mrs Lilian Swindall, the Archivist. I am particularly grateful to them, knowing that they work under pressure. Judith Stinton of Maiden Newton has assisted me most kindly. Mrs. Barbara Davies was good enough to lend me her precious copy of a privately printed history of Melbury Osmond.
My old friend James Rowlatt has put up with my erratic arrivals in Dorset and entertained me beautifully, finding me books and helping me in many ways, walking and driving with me over wide areas of Dorset.
I have again received guidance and help from Richard Luckett, Pepys Librarian at Magdalene College, Cambridge, where the diaries of Arthur Benson are held. My thanks to him and also to Aude Fitzsimons at the Pepys Library. Also to Duncan Robinson and Stella Panayotova at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, for enabling me to study the manuscript of Jude the Obscure; and to David McKitterick, Librarian of Trinity College, Cambridge, who sent me photocopies of limericks written by Florence Monckton Milnes as a young woman.
Without the London Library and its ever helpful staff I should not have been able to write this book. The same is true of the British Library, which I have relied on both for its printed books and its archives. Thanks to the Curator of the Berg Collection, Isaac Gewirtz, for his kind assistance; also to Michael Meredith, Librarian of Eton College, and to Robin Harcourt Williams, Archivist at Hatfield House, who once again went out of his way to find and send me documents. Elisabeth Stuart at the offices of the Duchy of Cornwall kindly allowed me to examine the papers relating to the visit of the Prince of Wales to Max Gate and the negotiations over the purchase of extra land from the Duchy there. The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings welcomed me to their library, where Cecily Greenhill and Philip Venning showed me their Hardy material.
Thanks also to Timothy Hands, Hardy scholar and writer, who brought me much useful material. Also to Helena Caletta, who lent and found me books. Also to Mark Bostridge for sending me photocopies of interesting material. And to Anthony Barnes, who drew my attention to the reference to Hardy in Henrietta Garnett’s Anny.
John Antell, great-grandson of Hardy’s aunt Mary Antell née Hand and sometime mayor of Dorchester, gave up a day to talk to me about family history. Mrs Moles, Archivist at Wiltshire County Record Office, Brian York, Archivist at Brunel, and Kate Perry, Archivist of Girton College, all answered my questions helpfully. Myrrdin Jones gave me information about Hardy’s visit to Aberdeen, and Mrs Anne Blandamer talked to me about her husband’s uncle Harry Bentley, who admired Hardy and was befriended by him when he delivered post to Max Gate. My thanks to all of them.
Particular thanks to Sally Searle of the Old Rectory, St Juliot, who welcomed me so warmly when I stayed there, and gave up her time to visit places along the coast with me and to answer my questions.
Tony Lacey has been my editor at Viking Penguin for over twenty years and I can’t remember a single cross word in all that time; his enthusiasm, loyalty, support and editorial suggestions are greatly appreciated. Zelda Turner has put in many hours of work, especially with the illustrations, for which I am grateful. Dinah Drazin has laid out the illustrations beautifully.
Donna Poppy is the most meticulous of copy editors, on whom I confidently rely, and with her eagle eye she has as usual saved me from blunders, repetitions, misquotations and wrong dates. Once again she has been an indispensable part of the process of getting my book into shape.
My agent David Godwin, ever calm and encouraging, has helped me in every way, backed by a great team of assistants, all of whom I have reason to be grateful to, and to whom I give thanks.
Once again my husband has shown patience and kindness while I worked. His good spirits cheered me and his practical help – buying all the groceries for months – was great. He also took time to read the typescript and gave me such excellent suggestions for improving it that I adopted almost all of them.