h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Emma, Lady Hamilton: The Early Years - A25927923
Author: lil ~ ACE/Scout/CE/Guru ~ Auntie Giggles - U551837

This has been another Entry long in the making. After reading the fantastic Guide Entries about Nelson by Florida Sailor, I cannot hope to compete!

This Entry is about the young/er Emma, the part that is usualy missed from the histories with all focus being put on her love affair with Nelson.

It is about 1500 words long, so I hope it will be easy for everyone to read!

lil x

I have yet to include links... list here if I miss any out


lil x

good work Lil very nice entry and I learnt something she has been ignored/bypassed by people thinking she was just Nelsons "friend"

*giggles*

Thanks Bob!

a link for you Cams Hall a big posh house near Fareham Hampshire

http://farehamdiary.co.uk/history/history-of-the-cams-estate-fareham/

one of the few only places that Nelson felt relaxed with Emma

Bob, keep hold of that one. I hope to open another Entry which should cover that period of their lives


lil x

Thank you for writing this!

I was hoping someone would, while writing Nelson I began to suspect she was really the more interesting subject. I expect you will get more traffic than I in the future as there is so little written from her point of view.
The one question I hoped you would answer is how she got the title of 'Lady', is enough to just be married to a knight? Please remember I am an American and ignorant of such things, I have always associated Lady with Lord. With a world-wide audience it might be worth at least a foot note.

I am also curious why she changed her name, did she have a contract with Linley, like an apprenticeship, that she was running away from? I know with research from this time the answer may no longer exist, but I thought I would mention it anyway. If there is no evidence, it is probably best to let it be.

I have not tried to read this objectively, I was too anxious to learn what you had to say. It was a most enjoyable and informative read

Thanks Again

F S

Oh FS!! Thank you so very much for your comments.

After all your hard work and research about Nelson, I felt I couldn't possibly do it justice.

I was having problems researching information about her exile in Paris, which is why I stopped with her younger years for now.

As for her employment in the Linley household, she would have just been a lowly maid. As her employment appears almost continuous I would guess that she was enticed to move because of money.

She would have been entitled to use the term Lady upon her marriage to her husband, because of his title. I will make a note of it somewhere - I don't particularly like footnotes if I can get away with not using them, I will

lil x

yep that was all she had to do

the last royal wedding over here she was a commoner she could end up as queen

Please do not swear, Bob...

lil x

This is a very good entry, lil. Thanks for keeping it short and readable.

I've only a few comments:

James Graham's establishment was in fact an early Fertility Treatment Clinic!

This sentence could do with a little reworking:

"This brings Emma into a more respectable era, with the portraits showing a more demure woman; possibly in an attempt to make her more acceptable as a respectable woman, rather than just a mistress."

It is long and has a repetition of the word "respectable" as well as the similar-sounding "acceptable".

With dismay, the French army was greeted with open arms -- I don't know what you mean here. Who was in dismay? And why did they then greet the French with open arms?

was determined to assist the expert vulcanologist and collector of fine arts in entertaining the Ambassador's distinguished guests -- since this is the first time you've mentioned a vulcanologist, it's not clear that the vulcanologist and the ambassador are the same person.

Spelling:

Two Scillies --> Two Sicilies
Marie Antionette --> Marie Antoinette

Some punctuation:

the 62–year–old diplomat -- it's correct to hyphenate this, but they should be hyphens, not dashes

When the young Amy was 12–years–old -- this should not have hyphens because it is not a phrase being used as an adjective before a noun

Use of Words:

This was also in 1793 that --> It was also in 1793 that
an army lead by --> an army led by

Thanks for your help Gnomon. It's very much appreciated



James Graham's establishment was in fact an early Fertility Treatment Clinic! = I've added that to the Entry

This sentence could do with a little reworking:

"This brings Emma into a more respectable era, with the portraits showing a more demure woman; possibly in an attempt to make her more acceptable as a respectable woman, rather than just a mistress."

It is long and has a repetition of the word "respectable" as well as the similar-sounding "acceptable". = I have reworked the sentence, I hope it reads better now

With dismay, the French army was greeted with open arms -- I don't know what you mean here. Who was in dismay? And why did they then greet the French with open arms? = I have made a Note to Self in the Entry to check my facts before I make any changes in this area

was determined to assist the expert vulcanologist and collector of fine arts in entertaining the Ambassador's distinguished guests -- since this is the first time you've mentioned a vulcanologist, it's not clear that the vulcanologist and the ambassador are the same person. = I will check futher and rework it into the paragraph at an earlier stage

Spelling:

Two Scillies --> Two Sicilies = corrected
Marie Antionette --> Marie Antoinette = corrected

Some punctuation:

the 62–year–old diplomat -- it's correct to hyphenate this, but they should be hyphens, not dashes = sorted!

When the young Amy was 12–years–old -- this should not have hyphens because it is not a phrase being used as an adjective before a noun = My bad!! Correction made

Use of Words:

This was also in 1793 that --> It was also in 1793 that = Change made
an army lead by --> an army led by = typo corrected



lil x

I really enjoyed reading this entry.

You could consider links to:
A87779425 Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson - The Early Years
A60735387 Goethe's 'Faust: Part One' (We could do with one just on Goethe)

I recently read in a book (entitled 'Lady Worsley's Whim' by Hallie Rubenhold) that a popular theory at the time of Nelson and Lady Hamilton's affair believed that collectors of fine art, such as marble statues of Venus and paintings of unclothed classic goddesses, often saw no difference between displaying their works of art and displaying their wives to admiring friends. This happened with Lady Worsley, whose husband was a passionate art collector, as well as Lady Hamilton. Just thought I'd mention it in conversation, doesn't need adding.

Isn't Yarmouth in Norfolk normally called Great Yarmouth to distinguish it from Yarmouth, Isle of Wight? ('Yar', like 'Avon', is an old word for River.)

<BB<

Hi BB

Thanks for the links. I have used them both, and changed the first Nelson link around in the Entry.

I agree we do need an Entry about Goethe in the Guide

I've been following your Entry about 18th Century Scandals, and wasn't aware that wives were also encouraged to display their wares!

As for the Great debate... The Norfolk Yarmouth is split in two. One being known at Great Yarmouth and the other as Little Yarmouth. So locally they are known as Yarmouth. I'm afraid the Isle of Wight Yarmouth is probably only thought of as a village by those in Norfolk

lil x

Just because Yarmouth, Isle of Wight is the smallest town in England and a fifth the size of the neighbouring village of Freshwater, that doesn't make it a village. It has a town charter! But I've now learnt something bootiful and new; I didn't realise there was a Great Yarmouth and Little Yarmouth there.

<BB<

*giggles*

We all learn something new everyday in h2g2, hunny


lil xx

FS

I have added a sentence about Emma's usage of her husband's title



Gnomon,

I have altered the paragraph containing the dismay of the French being welcomed with open arms.

Also, switched the 'vulcanologist and fine arts collector' to the first paragraph about Sir William.


I hope you both approve


lil x

"greeted with open arms by the Neopolitans, which in turn began a revolution in Naples"

Neopolitans --> Neapolitans

which in turn --> who in turn

Having made contact with his widower uncle, an expert vulcanologist and collector of fine arts, Sir William Hamilton. -- this sentence no verb

the Two Scilies --> the Two Sicilies