Review: The Fall of the House of Byron by Emily Brand

Here at K-SAA we love a good book. Luckily for us, so does Sarah Dent, who has reviewed for the blog Emily Brand's game-changing family study of the Byrons. Here Sarah gives us an insight into the exploits of Lord Byron's ancestors, including naval heroics, advice for young ladies, and rebellion...George Gordon, 6th Baron Byron was one of the most notorious literary figures of the early nineteenth century, known for his poetry, love affairs, adventures in Europe and flamboyant lifestyle. However, he was far from being the first Byron to be associated with scandal. In The Fall of the House of Byron, historian Emily Brand traces the history of Byron’s ancestors in the eighteenth century, focusing primarily on the generation of William, 5th Baron Byron (the poet’s great-uncle) and his siblings. As the book’s title suggests, the key thread running through this story is how the Byron dynasty fell from fortune through a combination of scandalous behaviour, financial ruin and cruel fate. Brand explores the combination of factors that led to the poet inheriting the barony at the age of ten, although he was not the direct heir.There is a distinctly Gothic flavour to the history of the Byron family - the stories of murder, seduction and family inheritance could be taken straight from the pages of an eighteenth-century Gothic novel. William, known as ‘The Wicked Lord’, was an unpopular and eccentric figure who caused the family name to become associated with scandal - partly due to his trial for murder - and he steadily laid waste to the family’s fortune and estate at Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire. Isabella, Countess of Carlisle, was twice married, entangled in various love affairs, and lived a significant portion of her life on the continent. She was also passionate about the arts and was known in her later life for writing a book of advice for young ladies, Thoughts in the Form of Maxims. John, or ‘Foul-Weather Jack’ (the poet’s grandfather) was a naval hero who acquired his nickname due to his reputation for survival in adverse conditions. One of the most memorable and affecting sections of the book is the account of his experiences when he was stranded with his crew in South America after the wreck of the HMS Wager in 1741. The Gothic element is further underlined by the presence of Newstead Abbey, once an Augustinian priory, at the centre of the narrative. Each chapter is named after a feature of the building or grounds, and the family’s decline is told alongside the decline of the Abbey itself, which had fallen into disrepair by the time William died.As well as being a family biography, this is also a history of the eighteenth century, encompassing major historical events such as the American and French Revolutions, and the Jacobite rebellion. Seeing how wars and upheavals like these affected the life of one family gives a feeling of immediacy that is not always present in historical accounts, and illustrates both the impact on everyday life and the long-term consequences. The book also touches on a variety of other elements of social and cultural history, including theatre, education, medicine and illness, and the role of women.The text is not solely a biography of Byron the poet, but his presence is felt throughout, and Brand is always attentive to the ways that, in both his life and his work, Byron was influenced and shaped by his ancestry – his seafaring grandfather for example inspiring elements of Don Juan – and this is reinforced with the inclusion of his poem ‘Newstead Abbey’ at the end of the book. Byron’s inheritance of the dilapidated family seat as a child may be a familiar story, but reading about it after learning of the trials and tribulations of his ancestors provides a different and somewhat melancholy perspective. I also enjoyed learning more about Byron’s father, John ‘Mad Jack’ Byron (son of ‘Foul-Weather Jack’). The story of Byron’s affair with his half-sister Augusta Leigh is well-known, but one particularly intriguing piece of information discussed here was the fact that Jack, too, might have had incestuous feelings for his own sister. As Brand notes, in his letters “his affection persistently spilled into something decidedly unbrotherly” (p. 249). She also notes that the bond between Byron and Augusta was, in part, informed by interest in their shared ancestry and sense of family legacy.Unusually, Byron himself is frequently referred to simply as ‘George’. Of course, this is partly to avoid confusion with all the other Byrons in the book, but it is also an effective way of removing the myth that surrounds him and showing a more vulnerable and human side to him. In the hands of another author, this might have come across as affected or gimmicky, but instead I felt that it exemplified Brand’s ability to make the reader feel close to these historical figures, as well as her own genuine affection for them.Brand has clearly spent a long time researching her subjects, and she uses their own words as much as possible, including extracts from their letters, journals and memoirs. She is also a gifted storyteller, employing a variety of devices familiar from fiction which keep the reader’s attention and form a compelling story. At the beginning of each chapter, for example, there are short narrative passages - perhaps recounting Isabella’s passionate feelings for her lover or evoking a storm at sea - which have an almost cinematic quality to them. Brand also writes with a sense of humour throughout, often sharing wry asides with the reader. All of this makes for a highly entertaining as well as a very informative read.Emily Brand achieves something here which I think shows a huge amount of skill: presenting meticulous historical research and scholarship in a way that is entertaining and appealing to academics and general readers alike. She writes in an accessible and engaging style which never tries to alienate a reader who may not be an expert in this period of history, but equally this style never compromises the integrity of her research. I imagine that many people will come to this book because they are interested in Byron the poet, but readers should be aware that, although the impact of his family legacy is considered, he is not the main focus. Rather, Brand’s story brings to the forefront a series of eccentric and fascinating figures who each have their own remarkable stories, but who have perhaps since been eclipsed by the reputation of their more famous descendant. I think the engaging style, compelling storytelling and mix of subject areas on display in The Fall of the House of Byron will appeal to a wide range of audiences, including readers of history, biography and fiction, and that it will also be of value to both literary scholars and historians, in particular to those interested in the social history of the long eighteenth century.Sarah Dent is currently studying for an MA in Literature of the Romantic Period at the University of York, specialising in the lives and work of the second generation. She also has a BA in English and Film from the University of Salford. She enjoys writing about books and poetry on her blog and you can follow her on Twitter @thebookhide.Find out more about The Fall of the House of Byron here. It is available to purchase online or at any good bookshop. For more on Emily Brand and her work, please see her website. You can also follow her on Twitter @EJBrand.