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

Hi Lil I'm subbing your excellent Entry on Emma, Lady Hamilton. By the way, do remember to subscribe to the edited version A87790558.

I have a question which needs a rather roundabout lead-up to, bear with me.

<>

This sentence drew my particular attention. Although my principal interest is in the 19th Century, to properly understand it you need more than a passing acquaintance with the 18th. Like Dirk Gently, I am fascinated by the interconnectedness of all things.

My first thought was which Thomas Linley, composer, this might be? There are two, father and son, both called Thomas. Neither was a native of London. Thomas Snr (b. 1733) was born in Badminton, Gloucs but moved to Bath aged about 10 or 11. His son Thomas Jnr was born in Bath in 1756.

You say that young Amy was 12 when she joined the Linley household and stayed for about three years. This makes the period of interest between about 1778-80. We can therefore eliminate Thomas Jnr as he was drowned in a lake at Grimsthorpe, Lincs in 1778, never having married.

As well as Thomas Jnr, Thomas Snr had other notable children, including Elizabeth (b.1754), a famous singer who would later marry the playright Richard Sheridan, Mary (b.1758) and Maria (b.1763) both accomplished singers, Ozias (b.1765), Jane (b.1768) and William (b.1771). The three youngest children were left in Bath when Thomas Snr moved to London in 1776 to manage the oratorios at the Drury Lane theatre.

So in 1778, Maria, the youngest of the children in London would have been about 15 years old, certainly old enough for the family not to require a nursemaid, let alone and under-nursemaid. Is it possible that this should be an under-housemaid or some such?

h5

Hi h5,

I got that snippet of information from:

http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Emma-Lady-Hamilton/

I would be quite happy for the reference to be changed to under-housemaid.

I also looked into the history behind Thomas Linley, but couldn't be certain if it was Linley Snr, or someone completely different. I thought it best to leave well alone, rather than make suppositions that I couldn't corroborate if asked at a later date.

Wiki (spit) doesn't mention the composer at all. Just that she may have been a maid to some of the actresses working in Drury Lane.

lil xx

It's amazing how often I find so-called 'facts' being written and then copied from site to site on the Internet, until it's seen so often it becomes self-authenticating. A bit of sense-checking pays wonders.

Could we be less specific <<...where she was put into domestic service in the household of Thomas Linley, a composer.>>?

That's fine with me

Thanks for checking h5


lil x

'morning Lil

Having checked the PR thread, I think mention does need to be made of William Hamilton's position as an authority on vulcanology, especially in view of the focus ofthe article you link to from the first mention of his name. Could we therefore change the relevant sentence to: <>?

Morning Hunny.

I forgot about that link

I couldn't make that sentence work properly... Seems you've managed it!

Please add it to the Entry. I did want to show there was more to William Hamilton's character.


lil x

I obviously wrote that before I'd had the required intake this morning renowned>

So if you're happy I'll press that Big Red Button *crosses fingers*

*giggles*

I thought it didn't look right, but I hadn't had my morning either

I'll just have another read through and come back to you


lil x

It looks great!

My Hero! Press away!


lil x

*Whoosh*

Thank you!!


Now I suppose I should really begin part deaux, shouldn't I?

lil x

Yes please

I'll find all me papers, again

lil x