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Florence Emily Dugdale (12 January 1879 – 17 October 1937) was an English teacher and children's writer, who was the second wife of the novelist and poet Thomas Hardy. She was credited as the author of Hardy's posthumously published biography, The Early Life and Later Years of Thomas Hardy , although it was written (mostly or entirely) by ...
This chapter is concerned with Hardy’s attempts to incorporate his second wife, Florence (née Dugdale), into the poetic narrative of his life that can be pieced together from his Emma poems.
- Childhood and Youth
- Apprenticeship
- London
- Back in Bockhampton
- First Novels
- Love and Marriage
- Max Gate
- Return to Poetry
- Emma’s Death and Second Marriage
- Final Years
Thomas Hardy was born on 2 June 1840 in a brick and thatch two-storey cottage in the hamlet called Higher Bockhampton, in the parish of Stinsford, about three miles east of Dorchester, the county town of Dorset. With the exception of five years, Hardy lived all his long life in his home county. Both of Hardy’s parents were of Dorset origin. His fat...
Unable to pursue a scholarly or clerical career, Hardy became apprenticed in 1856 to a local architect, John Hicks, who specialised in church restoration. His occupation required extensive trips to various locations in Dorset. At Hick’s office Hardy met another boy, Henry Bastow, who had a similar interest in classical literature, especially poetry...
In April 1862, Hardy decided to suspend his architectural apprenticeship and left for London. He rented lodgings at 3, Clarence Place, at Kilburn, near Edgware Road. Some biographers speculate that his decision was caused by yet another unsuccessful love affair. Thomas had already been infatuated with two Dorset girls: Elizabeth Sarah Bishop (Lizbi...
In July 1867, unable to have his poems published and weary of London, Hardy left the capital to return to Bockhampton and resumed working for Hicks. Shortly after his return, Hardy probably entered into a passionate affair with Tryphena Sparks (1851-1890), an attractive sixteen-year-old cousin. Tryphena was the youngest child of James and Maria Spa...
Under the inspiration of George Meredith’s prose, Hardy began to write his first novel, The Poor Man and the Lady, which he submitted to the publishing house of Alexander Macmillan. Although Macmillan did not publish it, he encouraged Hardy to keep writing. Meredith advised him to write novels with more plot. In 1869, John Hicks died and Hardy move...
When Hardy was occupied in the restoration of a church in St. Juliot, near the site of the legendary Castle Tintagel, King Arthur’s Camelot in Cornwall in 1870, he met for the first time Emma Lavinia Gifford, the local rector’s sister-in-law. He was captivated by both her looks and admiration for him. Emma, who was attracted by Hardy’s literary int...
In 1885, the couple settled near Dorchester at Max Gate, a large mid-Victorian villa, which Hardy had designed himself where he lived for the rest of his life. In 1895-96 and 1907, Hardy made significant extensions and alterations to the house, including enlarging the kitchen and refurbishing his study. Hardy felt extremely comfortable at Max Gate,...
The publication of Tess of the d’Urbervilles in 1891 shocked and dismayed the Victorian public with its presentation of a young beautiful girl seduced by an aristocratic villain. In order to have the novel published, Hardy made some concessions about its plot; extensive passages were either severely modified or deleted outright. The same happened t...
The sudden death on 27th November 1912 of Hardy’s wife Emma, with whom he had long been estranged, threw him into a complete disarray. After her funeral and burial in Stinsford churchyard, Hardy reproached himself that he had not realised how seriously ill she was. The death of his wife prompted him to write a number of poems that recalled his happ...
During the First World War Hardy was in his seventies. In spite of advanced age, he took an active part in campaigns defending Britain’s involvement in the war. He visited military hospitals and POW camps. In his last years Hardy rarely left Max Gate although he remained vital; he was still interested in world affairs. Regarded as the most outstand...
Apr 12, 2022 · Tragically, it seems that marrying Hardy turned Emma’s youthful enthusiasm for literature into a lifelong prison. She really did keep those diaries chronicling her dissatisfaction with the marriage: in two letters Florence Dugdale, who became Hardy’s second wife, records his horrified reaction at discovering them.
Florence Emily Dugdale, the daughter of Edward and Emma Dugdale, was born in 1879. Her father was headmaster of St Andrew's National School in Enfield. Florence became a schoolteacher and was the author of several textbooks. Friends claimed that she was an extremely modest person.
Apr 1, 2020 · Newly discovered letters from novelist Thomas Hardy's second wife have offered a glimpse of their home life in Dorset. In the correspondence, the children's author and teacher Florence Dugdale...
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Florence Emily Hardy, née Dugdale, was a writer of children's stories and the second wife and, later, biographer of Thomas Hardy. Florence was the daughter of school headmaster Edward Dugdale. She attended National Infants School in Enfield for two years until 1886, when she went to St Andrew's Girls School.
