Documents

Lot 2283    Session 8 (2.30pm Wed 26th March)    Documents

Estimate $600
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $1,100

LORD BYRON, signature on part of a letter written from Genoa and indicating a possible trip to Greece, signature at end as Noel Byron, dated Genoa May 29th 1823. Foxing, some splits around edges, ink signature clear, fine.

George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, later George Gordon Noel Byron (1788-1824). Byron was an English poet and a leading figure in the romantic movement of his time. He was handsome, athletic, a competent boxer, horseman and excellent swimmer. He was and is widely read and influential in the English speaking world and beyond. Famous not only for his writings but for his life which featured extravagent living, numerous love affairs including rumours of a scandalous incestuous liaison with his half-sister and self imposed exile.

When Byron's mother-in-law, Judith Noel, died in 1822 her will required that he change his surname to Noel in order to inherit half her estate and so he obtained a Royal Warrant to do so. This Royal Warrant also allowed him to suscribe the said surname of Noel before all titles of honour' and from that point he signed himself as Noel Byron. There was some speculation that he did this so that his initials were NB thus mimicing those of his hero Napoleon Bonaparte.

It is significant that in the part letter offered here, Byron mentions that 'though not yet decided that circumstances may conduct me once more to Greece' because within six weeks he left Genoa for Greece to support it in its efforts to gain independence from the Ottoman Empire. While in Greece Byron fell ill on 24 February 1824 and despite a partial recovery in early April he became ill again and it is thought that as a result of poor medical treatment he finally died on 19 April 1824 in Missolonghi.

Since Byron only started signing his name as Noel Byron sometime in 1822 then this style of signature was only used for a relatively short period of about two years and hence must be considered extremely scarce.