Artist of the Abbey

Westminster Abbey is home to graves, tombs, and memorials of many famous people. Full of stunning architecture, it is no wonder a building such as this is home to kings and gods. From names like Mary, Queen of Scots, to Stephen Hawking, The Abbey was home to many a stone of note. Here are just a scant few found in the Poets corner, home to artists of theatrical and literary persuasions.

Born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson in Daresbury, Cheshire, England, the author, poet, and mathematician was most known by his pen name of Lewis Carroll. Notable works include Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass (1871) as well as the poems Jabberwocky (1871) and The Hunting of the Snark (1876). On the 27th of January, 1832 he was born, and at the age of 65 he died (the 14th of January 1898) A memorial stone to Carroll can be found in Westminster Abbey and it reads as follows: “Student of Christ Church Oxford. Buried at Guildford. ‘Is all our Life, then, but a dream?'”

George Gordon Byron, born on the 22nd of January, 1788, would grow into one of the leading figured of the romantic movement, be regarded as one of the greatest poets in England, and experience before anyone else what we would call “modern celebrity”. You might know him by the more straightforward name of Lord Byron. A memorial stone is placed in Westminster Abbey that states the following: ” LORD BYRON DIED 19 APRIL 1824 AGED 36 AT MISSOLONGHI GREECE ‘But there is that within me which shall tire Torture and Time and breathe when I expire'”

Jane Austen was born on the 16th of December, 1775 in Hampshire. She was known for her her six novels which act as a commentary on the British landowning social class, often focusing on the role and lives of women, and often critiquing “novels of sensibility” that came before. She died aged 41 in 1817, on the 18th of July. Mostly published anonymously, she gained much of her true success and legacy posthumously, as they were republished under her name. A simple memorial stone for her can be found in The Abbey, simply stating her name and year of birth and death.