The History Page

Emma Hamilton....
a   Romantic Life



Perhaps the life story of Emma Hamilton is one of the most remarkable of the   18th century.   She was born to humble parentage in the   Wirral near Liverpool.     Both her parents were illiterate and made marks on her birth certificate instead of   signatures.   Her father, a blacksmith , died of consumption only 6 weeks   after Emma was born .
      Yet from these humble beginnings she went on to   become   a celebrated beauty... admired and feted in drawing rooms and salons from London to Naples.... while   her portrait was painted by some of the finest artists of the day.
   In the year 1778 as   a teenager she went to London to live with her mother and    worked in a variety of menial occupations.       Already , as a    young teenager, Emma   was turning heads with her classic beauty, her long, auburn hair   and her tall , slim figure.    Emma was   5ft 11 inches tall, she loved dancing, and she had a fine singing voice.
       Before long she    found herself in the employ of a certain Dr Graham who ran ........." The   Temple of Health. "
       The Temple of Health was situated in Royal Terrace at the end of The Strand.    Entrance was   5 shillings and inside one could attend    lectures on magnetism and learn about the latest cures for rheumatism.        The   Temple had     elegant statues and spacious rooms where    scantily clad young ladies   danced and sang with grace and charm, wearing thin, diaphanous veils.    It was a Theatre of Medicine and Healing..... a showcase of health and beauty.
    Needless to say,   Emma.... still only   16 .... soon became the star attraction .   She was   young,   graceful   ...a born performer........    she loved to entertain   and     she   loved the adulation of an audience.
     Sir Harry Featherstone Howe , a young country squire,    became one of her greatest admirers and suitors.    In no time atall he   whisked her away to his    home.... Uppark,   a fine country mansion    on the South Downs with views of    Portsmouth and the Isle of Weight.
     The youthful   Emma lived with Sir Harry as his mistress   for almost a year....during 1781.     There    at Uppark   she    lived the country life and   learned   the skills of horse riding and joys of country sports.



There were wild drinking parties too , where the enchanting Emma sang   for Sir Harry's guests and kept everyone entertained with her wild, unihibited dancing.
    After her sojourn in the countryside    Emma   returned to London   and went to live with   Charles Greville MP..... son of the Earl of Warwick.
Charles was   a highly cultured    young man   and a member of the Royal Society.
He lived in Portland Square ....    a connoisseur, a dilettante .... the friend of   Englands   leading artists.... including    Sir Thomas Laurence,   Sir Joshua Reynolds and George Romney.
       Charles taught   Emma the finer things in life....... how to entertain, how to   speak in public, how to dress and   entertain.   Emma was   his Eliza Dolittle.......he taught her how to talk proper and how to behave in polite society.
    While living there    Emma   also    took    piano   and    singing lessons..... her natural talents were being developed with every passing day.
In due course Sir Charles introduced   Emma     to some of   his influential friends in the art world ... and one artist in particular...... George Romney.



Emma was introduced to Romney in   the summer of 1782
    At   that time Romney   was in his early 50s, he was a successful artist, his   work in demand .... he was   well established on the London scene .   At their first meeting Romney    was   captivated by the youthful Emma Hart...... by her vitality and her classical beauty.     Soon   Emma was sitting   twice a week for   him   in his     Soho studio............. always   with    Emma's    mother acting as chaperon.
    Romney went on to paint over 20 portraits of Emma and countless sketches,    she became almost an obsession for the    famous artist.
                                                                                               In   March 1786 Emma and her mother travelled to Naples to visit Charles Uncle.... Sir William Hamilton , the British   Ambassador to Naples.



At that time Sir William was age 56,   and a widower....    Emma was just   21.    He was   thrilled to have the lovely Emma living under his roof , to have her living there   in the Ambassadors palatial residence with   its spectacular views out across the Bay of Naples.
     Sir William took up his diplomatic posting to Naples in 1764 and it was nt very long before he   began to   indulge in his passion for   collecting antiques.   He revelled in acquiring   sculptures, bronzes,   cameos and jewellery from archaeological sites all over southern Italy,   especially Pompeii and Herculaneum.
     The lovely Emma   quickly    settled into life in Naples and was soon   entertaining Sir Williams guests with her classical poses, her singing and dancing. The King and Queen of Naples .... the poet   Goethe and all of the Neapolitan high society    fell under her spell.
    Angelica Kauffman   painted her portrait, the Queen of Naples became her close personnel friend,   while all the fine ladies of Naples admired her beauty and her amazing natural complexion.
    1786   was a wonderful year for Emma... she was the toast of Naples,    courted by Royalty   and in constant demand as a model   by a host of painters and sculptors.
    Sir William was infatuated with her , he loved her   "attitudes, " and classical poses..... so much so   he    had a special ornate cabinet built where Emma could perform and display her talents to his   guests.
In fact Sir William was totally smitten and   it was nt long before he began to make romantic advances to   the youthful Emma Hart.
Alas Emma   was still in love with Charles Greville and   longed for him to join them in Naples as he had promised, but it seemed   that he had lost all interest in his pretty    young mistress.
   It was   shortly before Xmas in that wonderful year 1786   that Emma finally succumbed to Sir Williams persistant advances   and   they became lovers.

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