Why did Byron’s wife live in Exmouth?
Walk through Exmouth’s town centre and head up towards The Beacon, a raised terrace overlooking the sea.
In 1829, one of the houses here became home – briefly and discreetly – to Lady Byron.
Who was Lady Byron?
Anne Isabella Milbanke – later Lady Byron – married Lord Byron in 1815.
But they separated a year later, in 1816, with Lady Byron questioned her husband’s sanity and move to her parents’ estate.
She was an accomplished mathematician and an advocate for education, prison reform and the abolition of slavery.
Her daughter, Ada Lovelace, would go on to become a mathematician and write the first recognised algorithm intended for a machine (long before the invention of the modern computer).
Why Exmouth – and why The Beacon?
In 1829, Lady Byron took a house on The Beacon. This elegant street which is still lined with Georgian townhouses today, was one of Exmouth’s most respectable addresses. Lady Nelson lived just down the road!
Lady Byron came to Exmouth for her health, likely physical and mental.
Exmouth’s supposed ‘healing waters’ had a personal recommendation from King George III’s physician – which meant that it was the place for the elite to holiday in!
Her correspondence from this time suggests a need for rest, but also distance – from London society and from scrutiny,
Ada would have been around 13 years old and was being privately educated under Lady Byron’s close supervision, with an emphasis on logic, mathematics, and scientific thought.
The house today
The exact house Lady Byron stayed is part of the terrace on The Beacon and is called “BYRON COURT”. It’s part of Exmouth’s Blue Plaque trail.
You can see the Google maps location here.
Ada Lovelace’s influence
Ada grew up to be one of the 19th centuries most incredible women. She worked with Charles Babbage to create what was ultimately the world’s first computer programme, long before computers were even invented.
While she only stayed in town for a short time, road names such as “Lovelace Crescent” and of course, the Blue Plaque outside of Byron Court, reflect her importance (at a time when women’s achievements weren’t well recognised).
