Thomas Hardy's Lifeline

Thomas Hardy born on June 2nd, in Higher Bockhampton to Thomas and Jemima Hardy.

Hardy begins attending Julia Martin's school The National School (Church of England) in Lower Bockhampton. Later he was to attend the British School in Dorchester. He was greatly encouraged and counselled by Horace Moule to read books.

Begins playing violin locally.

Hardy's education becomes intensive - he studies Latin, French and begins reading widely.

Thomas at the age of 16 helped his father with the architectural drawings for a restoration of Woodsford Castle. The owner, architect John Hicks, was so impressed by the younger Hardy's work that he took him on as an apprentice. Hardy is articled to the local architect John Hicks. The office is next to Barnes' school. Around this time Hardy meets and studies with Horace Moule, son of Henry Moule, vicar of Fordington. Moule becomes Hardy's intellectual mentor off Latin and Greek going through the Greek dramatists under his tutelage. Hardy witnesses the execution of Martha Brown Saturday 9th August 1856.

Katherine (Kate) is born (sister)1856.

Hardy travels to London to work under Arthur Blomfield. While finding his way in London he attends the Exhibition. He explores the cultural life of London, visiting museums, attending plays and operas, and begins writing poetry in earnest.

Awarded a cash prize for Architecture from the Royal Institute of British architects and the Architectural Association which he did not accept. Becomes engaged to Eliza Nicholls. Is a frequent visitor to the National Gallery with his interest in art..

Hardy publishes his first article, "How I Built Myself a House" in Chamber's Journal.

Suffering from health problems Hardy returns to Bockhampton and works for John Hicks. Unable to find a public for his poetry and suffering from ill health because of it, the novelist George Meredith who was then a reader for Chapman & Hall advised Hardy to write a novel. His first attempt, 'The Poor Man and the Lady' was written in 1867

Hardy begins considering writing as a profession and writes the unpublished novel: The Poor Man and the Lady. The manuscripts were sent to Alexander Macmillan for publication. It was not published but was rejected by most publishers. Hardy burnt the manuscript.

Hardy works for G. R.Crickmay, who specializes in church restoration, .in Weymouth after the death of John Hicks. Started to write Desperate Remedies.

Hardy travels to St. Juliot, Cornwall to work on the restoration of the church. Here he meets Emma Lavinia Gifford who was the sister in law of the Rev Cadell Holder. Sent the manuscript for Desperate Remedies to Macmillan for publication where it is rejected. William Tinsley agreed to publish it.

Desperate Remedies published. Hardy was requested by William Tinsley to pay an advance of £75 of the expense. 500 copies were printed. Macmillan received the manuscript for Under The Greenwood Tree but advised Hardy to submit it the following year. Tinsley agrees to publish it.

Under the Greenwood Tree published. William Tinsley offered Hardy £30 for the copyright and added a further £10 for the continental rights as well. Hardy agreed for publication as a serial in a three part edition for the sum of £200.

A Pair of Blue Eyes published. Hardy now relinquishes architecture as a career to write full-time. Horace Moule then aged 41, was deeply depressed and affected by alcohol when he had ended a three-hour conversation with his brother Charles he retired to bed. But minutes later Charles, who was writing in an adjoining room, heard what he described as a ‘trickling’ sound and went to investigate and found Horace covered in blood but still conscious and able to utter his last words: ‘Easy to die. Love to my mother.’ He had slashed his windpipe with the razor that he kept under his pillow for that very purpose.

Far From the Madding Crowd appears serially. This novel finally gave Hardy the success that enabled him to give up his architectural practice and concentrate solely on his writing. On 17th September Hardy marries Emma Lavinia Gifford, at St Peters Church, Paddington, London (the cermony was performed by Emma's uncle Edwin Hamilton Gifford who was the Canon of Worcester Cathedral). For their honeymoon they initially stayed at the Morton's Hotel, Queens Road, Brighton from where they took the night crossing to Dieppe and thence by train on to Rouen and Paris for the remainder of their honeymoon.

The Hand of Ethelberta published. The Hardys move to Yeovil, Somerset, and then to North Cottage, Riverside Villas, Sturminster Newton, Dorset

The Return of the Native published. With it Hardy publishes a map. The Hardys moves to Tooting, London and with the success of this novel, begins to experience life as a celebrity. He joins the Saville Club.

The Trumpet-Major is published it is one of Hardy's earliest treatments of the Napoleonic war. The A Laodicean was written while Hardy was bed-ridden, seriously ill and dictateted as a serial version to Emma from his bed. The Hardys moves back to Dorset.

A Laodicean is published.

Two on a Tower published.

Hardy designs and supervises construction of his Dorchester home, Max Gate. Our Exploits At West Poley was published.

The Mayor of Casterbridge published soon after Hardy moves into Max Gate.

The Woodlanders published. Hardy tours the continent. When they return, he begins habit of visiting London for "the season."

Wessex Tales, Hardy's first collection of short stories, is published.

A Group of Noble Dames published. There is a small uproar after the publication of Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Hardy is elected a member of the Athenaeum Club.

Hardy's father Thomas dies 20th July. He begins serialization of The Pursuit of the Well-Beloved.

Meets Florence Henniker in Dublin and develops an intense friendship with her, exacerbating the growing estrangement between himself and Emma.

Life's Little Ironies, Hardy's third collection of short stories, is published. "The Spectre of the Real," Hardy's collaboration with Florence Henniker, published in Today.

Osgood-McIlvaine begins bringing out the first collected edition of Hardy's works. The set includes the first edition of Jude the Obscure.

The Well-Beloved appears in volume form after extensive revisions. Hardy visits Switzerland and tours the West Country.

Hardy's first volume of poems, Wessex Poems, appears in an edition of only 500 copies. He is now, officially, an ex-novelist.

Poems of the Past and Present, Hardy's second volume as a poet, is published.

Part One of The Dynasts, Hardy extended verse-play about Napoleon and the clash of powers he brought about, appears. Hardy inends it as his masterpiece.

The Dynasts: Part Two appears.

The Dynasts: Part Three is published, thus concluding Hardy's epic trilogy.

Time's Laughingstocks, and Other Verses. Hardy accepts governorship of the Dorchester Grammar School and presidency of the Society of Authors.

Hardy receives the Order of Merit and the Freedom of Dorchester having previously refused a knighthood.

A "definitive" edition of Hardy's works, the Wessex Edition, is published. It is a chance for Hardy to thoroughly revise his body of work. The year ends on a low note, though, as Emma suddenly dies on 27th November. Thomas was stricken with guilt and remorse, but the result was some of his best poetry, expressing his feelings for his wife of 38 years. Hardy receives the Gold Medal of the Royal Society of Literature.

Hardy's final book of short stories, A Changed Man and Other Tales, is published. Hardy makes a pilgrimage to the sites of his and Emma's early love. Hardy receives an honourary degree from Cambridge University, and an honourary fellowship of Magdalene College, Cambridge.

Satires of Circumstance is published. It contains the "Poems of 1912-13," written in memory of Emma. Hardy marries Florence Dugdale 10th February at St. Andrew's, Enfield. World War I breaks out, contributing to Hardy's pessimism.

Moments of Vision was published.

Late Lyrics and Earlier was published.

The Famous Tragedy of the Queen of Cornwall was published. The Prince of Wales visits Hardy at Max Gate. Begins a friendship with T.E.Lawrence.

Human Shows: For Phantasies: Songs, and Triumphs was published. These later years see Hardy working on his autobiography, published posthumously under Florence's name.

Winter Words is published posthumously as Thomas Hardy died on 10th January. His ashes are buried in Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey, and his heart is buried in Emma's grave Stinsford Church. The Early Life of Thomas Hardy is published under Florence's name. Hardy's brother Henry dies.

A rumour has persisted ever since Hardy's death that it is not actually the Thomas Hardy's heart that was buried beside Emma. The story goes that Hardy's housekeeper placed his heart on the kitchen table, where it was promptly devoured by her cat. Apparently a pig's heart was used to replace Hardy's own. Wether this is truth or fiction we will probably never know.

Publication of Hardy's two-volume "autobiography," The Early Life of Thomas Hardy, 1840-1891 and The Later Years of Thomas Hardy, 1892-1928 under Florence's name.

Florence Hardy died of cancer.

Hardy's last sister Kate dies