Separation
In January 1816, as the Byrons passed their first anniversary, Lord Byron suggested they sell the house at Piccadilly Terrace. He recommended that Lady Byron take Ada to her parents' home and stay there temporarily until he settled their finances. In disbelief, Annabella sought medical advice as she had become convinced her husband had gone mad. She invited a physician to their home to assess Byron. Byron was unaware of the true purpose for the visit. The doctor recommended she do as Byron requested and move to her parents' estate.
Lady Byron began a detailed documentation of Byron's behavior, moods, and speech. She contacted his solicitor and friend, John Hanson, and told him her concerns that Byron would take his life. She also provided Hanson with a pamphlet on hydrocephalus, accompanied by notes that suggested Byron could be suffering from this particular affliction. Following this conversation, Lady Byron took Ada and travelled to her parents' residence at Kirkby Mallory in Leicestershire. She would not see Byron again.
Read more about this topic: Anne Isabella Byron, Baroness Byron
Famous quotes containing the word separation:
“Like sleep disturbances, some worries at separation can be expected in the second year. If you accept this, then you will avoid reacting to this anxiety as if it’s your fault. A mother who feels guilty will appear anxious to the child, as if to affirm the child’s anxiety. By contrast, a parent who understands that separation anxiety is normal is more likely to react in a way that soothes and reassures the child.”
—Cathy Rindner Tempelsman (20th century)
“Just as children, step by step, must separate from their parents, we will have to separate from them. And we will probably suffer...from some degree of separation anxiety: because separation ends sweet symbiosis. Because separation reduces our power and control. Because separation makes us feel less needed, less important. And because separation exposes our children to danger.”
—Judith Viorst (20th century)
“The scholar was not raised by the sacred thoughts amongst which he dwelt, but used them to selfish ends. He was a profane person, and became a showman, turning his gifts to marketable use, and not to his own sustenance and growth. It was found that the intellect could be independently developed, that is, in separation from the man, as any single organ can be invigorated, and the result was monstrous.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)