Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, better known simply as Lord Byron, was an English politician, nobleman and poet. However, he is now known just as much for his colorful – and often crazy – personal life than he is for his many professional accomplishments. And for good reason. This was a man who had a club foot and was almost always overweight – especially by the standards of 18th century high society – but who was universally adored and took full advantage of his fame to seduce countless men and women. Lord Byron was, as the popular phrase goes, “Mad, bad and dangerous to know“.
A modern-day psychiatrist would have had a field day with Bryon. They’d almost certainly trace his adult behavior back to his childhood. He was born in London in 1788 to Captain John “Mad Jack” Byron and his second wife, Catherine Gordon. Captain Byron was every bit as crazy as his nickname suggests. He was a drinker and a serious womanizer and eventually killed himself by cutting his own throat. His mother, meanwhile, struggled with her weight and depression, as well as from financial difficulties. Being sent away to board at Harrow school would have been a relief for young Bryon, then, especially since it allowed him the chance to enjoy some sexual escapades.
After a few awakenings at Harrow, Bryon went to study at Trinity College, Cambridge. Here, he took a number of lovers, both male and female. However, it was the success of his first literary works which really allowed Bryon to shake off any insecurities he might have had about his weight or club foot and finally start living the playboy lifestyle he enjoyed so much. His poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage was a best-seller. London was gripped by ‘Bryon-mania’. Women wanted to be with him, men wanted to be him – so much so that they would copy his hairstyle and surly gaze.
Despite his fame in England, Byron hit the road, traveling extensively through Europe, taking lovers, young and old, male and female, as he went. However, he soon racked up huge debts. Realizing that a good marriage to a wealthy woman could help him, Bryon took Annabella Millbanke as his wife – though not before he embarked on a scandalous affair with his own half-sister. Inevitably, Bryon struggled to settle down, and his numerous infidelities led to his divorce in 1816. Bryon was again forced to leave the country, eventually settling in Italy with his friend and fellow poet Percy Shelley. But he could not stay still for long. In 1823, he accepted an invitation to join the movement for Greek independence. Reluctantly leaving a 22-year-old countess – who had left her own husband for Byron – behind, he headed off to war. Lord Byron was killed in April of 1824, aged just 36. He left behind him not just several volumes of fine poetry, but many hundreds of broken hearts.