Lord Byron is a fascinating character. Most scholars believe that the first Dracula figure was based on him. He was brilliant, handsome, and dangerous. He had a messed up family and a pretty messed up childhood. His grandfather cut down all the trees of Sherwood Forest that were on their estate just to spite Byron's dad, known as Mad Jack. Jack died before he inherited anyway and the title went to a wicked uncle. He was mixed up in some bad stuff apparently. We were told that people see and feel things in the wicked uncle's room, but since I don't believe in ghosts, I have to assume he was mixed up in something darker...or they were just trying to make stuff up for interest.
Byron inherited the estate at 10, with no money to repair it. He had also been brought up by a nurse that sexually abused him. Byron had a twisted, withered foot that he dragged behind him and he pushed himself to become an athlete in spite of it. He loved his dogs, and said he preferred animals to people. He wanted to be buried next to his favorite dog, but his daughter put him in the family plot instead. (His daughter was Ada Lovelace of mathematical and first computer fame by the way). He rescued a bear from a bear bait and took it to college with him. There were rules against having dogs, but no rules against having a bear, so they let him keep it. It had its own room.
Byron was celebrity status in Europe. Women followed him and swooned at his feet. They kept locks of his hair. He had several affairs, because he said, "When an 18 year old girl knocks on your door, you don't say 'no'." Most of these women hated them later. One woman said that if she died and when to heaven, and Byron was there, send her straight to hell! He also required his maids to be beautiful. They couldn't cut their hair or wear corsets. I get the feeling it wasn't because he was concerned with their ability to breathe...
Like anyone, Byron has many different facets, so you can't just say he was evil. He was passionate about the Greek revolution, and eventually moved there to help them fight. He is a national hero in Greece today.
Just one wing of the house, no big deal.
Peacocks outside the front door, again, just a regular day at Newstead Abbey. (Which belonged to monks until Henry VIII kicked them out).
This is not Newstead, but it is next door and is for sale. Think I can afford it?
Back to Newstead
The stump of his favorite oak tree and one of its babies. People have this thing about preserving author's trees. The problem is that they die and people still want to sit under his tree.
Just a pretty tree.
The memorial to his dog, the one he wanted to be buried next to. His dog has a bigger memorial than Byron does.
Legend has it that this entire room was paneled with the wood from just one tree. This old banqueting room is the room where he kept his bear and practiced with pistols.
Byron's bed. Apparently it used to be about five feet off the ground, but it had to be shortened to fit the lower ceilings when he moved. My college bed is not this nice, in case you were wondering.
A piece from the intertwined trees where he and his sister Augusta carved their names.
His boxing gloves, although we are told that he preferred to fight barehanded, which was illegal.
His silver sword toothpick, with its own sheath...
Corner of the wicked uncle's bed.
The wicked uncle's bedroom.
A cool carving on the mantle.
Clawed foot bathtub...
A piece of the wall is removed so that you can see some of the original abbey wall.
So. Byron wasn't exactly religious. Some poor gardener dug up a monk with a rather large skull. Byron sent the skull to a jeweler with instructions to turn the monk's cranium into a drinking cup. He and his friends would pass it around at their little club meetings, which they named the "Order of the Skull." Gross! After he was exiled, a woman had it given a christian burial. This is a replica based on drawings.
Byron had other skulls. The house tour guides call this one Collin.
The house chapel. Which Byron used to house all his pets...
A baby swan. We named him Lord Thomas. We thought about naming him Baby Byron, but decided that that might be a bad omen. We want Lord Thomas to have a happy life.
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