Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgements
- List of Abbreviations
- Georgina Weldon’s Archive and her Biographers
- Prologue
- 1 Georgina
- 2 Mayfield
- 3 Harry
- 4 Beaumaris
- 5 Friends and Relations
- 6 Discontent
- 7 Gwen
- 8 Gounod
- 9 Tavistock House
- 10 Maestro or Marionette
- 11 Loss
- 12 Separation
- 13 Orphans
- 14 Argueil
- 15 Mad-Doctors
- 16 Home Again
- 17 Rivière
- 18 Covent Garden
- 19 Disaster
- 20 Conjugal Rights
- 21 Revenge
- 22 The New Portia
- 23 Swings and Roundabouts
- 24 Holloway
- 25 Gower Street
- 26 Gisors
- 27 The Trehernes
- 28 A New Century
- 29 Sillwood House
- 30 Angel or Devil?
- Bibliography
- Index
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgements
- List of Abbreviations
- Georgina Weldon’s Archive and her Biographers
- Prologue
- 1 Georgina
- 2 Mayfield
- 3 Harry
- 4 Beaumaris
- 5 Friends and Relations
- 6 Discontent
- 7 Gwen
- 8 Gounod
- 9 Tavistock House
- 10 Maestro or Marionette
- 11 Loss
- 12 Separation
- 13 Orphans
- 14 Argueil
- 15 Mad-Doctors
- 16 Home Again
- 17 Rivière
- 18 Covent Garden
- 19 Disaster
- 20 Conjugal Rights
- 21 Revenge
- 22 The New Portia
- 23 Swings and Roundabouts
- 24 Holloway
- 25 Gower Street
- 26 Gisors
- 27 The Trehernes
- 28 A New Century
- 29 Sillwood House
- 30 Angel or Devil?
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Georgina's ‘At Homes’ at Tavistock House had continued throughout September 1879. The room was almost always full, due to the publicity generated by her appearances at the Aquarium and in the police courts. The programmes were the usual mixture of readings and lectures (mainly by the hostess) and musical items. The takings, however, remained low. Georgina claimed that she was raising money to support her orphanage, but members of the audience may well have wondered what had happened to the orphans themselves. Most of them were still in France and Georgina quickly disposed of the only one left in London, ‘that little wretch’ Tommy, who was ‘planted’ at a place where he would be ‘trained on board ship’. Georgina was only too pleased to see him go.
As Rivière had deprived her of her Benefit Concert, Georgina decided to hold one of her own. On 5 November, the day of the cancelled concert at Covent Garden, she booked St James's Hall for St Cecilia's Day, 22 November. She sent a circular to the members of the choir, informing them
As you all know, I work for my orphanage and the reform of an iniquitous system which has broken my life and, well-nigh, my heart. I have no desire and no pleasure in public singing myself, and I have the sense to know that I am too old to dream of making a career. The choir is a great pleasure to me, and I entertain a sincere feeling of affectionate regard towards many of its members. I am, however, advised there are several backbiting, slanderous tongues among them. I am in a most extraordinarily difficult position, the target for lies, and, till now, the victim of injustice in its most cruel and cowardly form. I have to contend against public and private pique; against hundreds of thousand pounds sterling a year, which are able to buy up the very courts where justice is supposed to be meted out to the subjects of this realm, and the newspapers which are supposed to give fair play.
Apart from one or two ‘turncoats’, the choir remained loyal. Georgina received numerous letters of support and most of the singers still came to rehearsals.
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- Information
- Georgina WeldonThe Fearless Life of a Victorian Celebrity, pp. 260 - 277Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2021