George Gissing:
                     A Brief Chronology of His Life

     The Early Years
 

 1857 -- Born November 22 in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England, son of a chemist. Christened
 George Robert Gissing.

 1870 -- Father, Thomas Waller Gissing, died suddenly on December 28, leaving a young wife and
 five children.

 1871 -- With his two brothers, William and Algernon, entered a Quaker boarding school, Lindow
 Grove, at Alderley Edge, Cheshire.

 1872 -- In October matriculated at Owens College, Manchester on a scholarship that provided
 free tuition for three years. Continued to live at Lindow Grove.

 1875 -- Moved to private lodgings in Manchester, winning honors in English and Latin and
 distinguishing himself as a gifted student.

 1876 -- Met Marianne Helen Harrison (Nell), a young prostitute he attempted to rescue. On May
 31 arrested for stealing planted money in college cloakroom. On June 6 convicted and sentenced
 to a month in prison at hard labor. On June 7 expelled from Owens College. In August sailed for
 United States to start a new life but hoped to send for Nell, whose picture he had shown to
 Morley Roberts, when settled. Wrote sentimental poems idealizing Nell.

 1877 -- Taught briefly in a public school at Waltham, Massachusetts. Traveled by train to
 Chicago and published first fiction, "The Sins of the Fathers," in "Chicago Tribune" on March
 10. Published several stories before leaving Chicago in July to return to New York and New
 England. Sailed from Boston in September, arrived in Liverpool October 3, found himself living
 in London lodgings by end of October.

 1878 -- Lived at 22 Colville Place, London, between January and September. Continued to use
 American notebook for plot outlines for short stories he was writing. On birthday, November 22,
 received his share of a trust fund (about 500 pounds) left by his father.

 1879 -- In January met Eduard Bertz, a German intellectual who became an intimate and
 enduring friend to whom he wrote many letters. Married Marianne Helen Harrison on October
 27. Earned a spare living as a tutor and worked on first proletarian novel.

 1880 -- In March "Workers in the Dawn" published at own expense. Gained friendship of
 Frederic Harrison. Brother Willian died of tuberculosis April 16.

 1881 -- In February moved to Worthington Road, earned 45 shillings a week by tutoring children
 of wealthy families. In August moved to 15 Gower Place. Lived in rented lodgings with Nell who
 was often ill. Worked on next novel.

 1882 -- Tutored ten pupils from 9 to 6 and wrote in evenings. "Mrs. Grundy's Enemies"
 completed in September and accepted for publication but never published. Nell, alcoholic and
 sick, sent to invalids' home in Battersea. Returned to Gissing in October, soon left. Gissing
 moved to 17 Oakley Crescent, Chelsea, where he lived two years.

 1883 -- Nell back on the streets as a prostitute, involved in street disturbance in September.
 Gissing lived alone, worked on next novel, tried and failed to get a divorce, never saw Nell again
 until after she was dead.

 1884 -- Moved to a single room at 62 Milton Street near Regents Park. Bertz left London in
 April. "The Unclassed," his second novel, published in June. Met Mrs. David Gaussen, visited
 her country home in September, and began to tutor her son at better quarters, 7K Cornwall
 Residences.

 1885 -- In the spring spent a week with the Gaussens along with sister Ellen. Worked on next
 novel, begun in 1884 and influenced throughout by Mrs. Gaussen. Also completed "A Life's
 Morning" in this year, both a departure in subject matter from earlier novels.

 1886 -- "Isabel Clarendon" published in February. "Demos," a return to his "special line of
 work," published a month later and reviewed favorably.

 1887 -- "Thyrza" published in April. Colorful scenes of lower-class life dominated by girls and
 women. Main character, a working girl, idealized.

 1888 -- "A Life's Morning," written before "Demos," published in February. Nell died February
 29. Gissing viewed body on March 1. Began work on "The Nether World" and finished it in four
 months. Went away to Italy for five months. Loved the country, climate, people.
 

    The Later Years

 1889 -- "The Nether World" published in March. Completed Italian trip. Began trip to Greece
 and Italy. Met Edith Sichel on September 29.

 1890 -- "The Emancipated" published in March. In April visited Paris with his sisters. On
 September 24 met Edith Underwood in a public place, perhaps a shop, in London. Made rapid
 progress on his next novel after he met her and completed it in December.

 1891 -- Married Edith on February 25. Son, Walter Leonard, born December 10. Edith suffered
 from neuralgia and showed first signs of bad temper. "New Grub Street," his best-known novel,
 published in April.

 1892 -- Two novels published in this year, "Denzil Quarrier" in February, "Born in Exile" in
 April. Though living in a pleasant rented house away from London and better off financially, it
 was a year of "domestic misery and discomfort."

 1893 -- "The Odd Women" published in April and well reviewed. In September some newspaper
 publicity when he accused a parson, who blamed a printer, of stealing a long passage from "The
 Nether World" and publishing it as his own.

 1894 -- "In the Year of Jubilee" published in October. Finished "Eve's Ransom" in June and
 moved to Somerset. Complained of isolation and uncertain health and low income in spite of
 never-ending work.

 1895 -- Three short novels published in this year. "Eve's Ransom" ran serially in the "Illustrated
 London News" and was published in book form later in the year. "The Paying Guest" and
 "Sleeping Fires" were published near the end of the year. Domestic turmoil increased and Clara
 Collet tried to help.

 1896 -- Second son, Alfred Charles, born January 20. By the end of the year, as he finished his
 latest novel, Gissing's troubles with Edith had convinced him he would have to abandon his
 family. He worried about the welfare of his sons.

 1897 -- In February he left his home, "chased away with furious insult." Published "The
 Whirlpool" in the spring. Returned to Edith in June and moved in July to Yorkshire. In
 September he fled from Edith and domestic conflict again, making the separation final. Departed
 for six-month Italian trip that later provided material for "By the Ionian Sea."

 1898 -- Returned to England on April 18. Met Gabrielle Marie Edith Fleury on July 6 at home of
 H. G. Wells. Saw wife Edith and son Alfred for last time on September 7. Published "Human
 Odds and Ends," a collection of short stories, "The Town Traveler," a short novel, and "Charles
 Dickens, A Critical Study." Influenced by Gabrielle and their passionate love affair, began work
 on what he thought would be his best novel.

 1899 -- Began to live with Gabrielle Fleury in France after a mock marriage ceremony on May 7.
 Completed "By the Ionian Sea" and "Among the Prophets," later destroyed. Published "The
 Crown of Life" in October.

 1900 -- In April visited his family in Wakefield. Worked through the summer on "The Coming
 Man" published in 1901 under a different title. In the autumn "The Private Papers of Henry
 Ryecroft" written in less than two months.

 1901 -- With Gabrielle visited Wells in May. In June he went alone to Dr. Jane Walker's
 sanatorium in Suffolk and stayed there a month. In August joined Gabrielle in Autun, where
 they lived until October 12 before moving southward to Arachon. Published "Our Friend the
 Charlatan" and "By the Ionian Sea."

 1902 -- In February Edith Underwood Gissing committed to insane asylum. With Gabrielle
 Fleury and her mother, he moved to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Luz in June to take advantage of the
 climate. Worked sporadically on historical novel and other projects in spite of steadily declining
 health.

 1903 -- Published "The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft." Completed "Will Warburton" in
 March. During summer and fall worked on historical novel, "Veranilda." Fell ill with five
 chapters yet to be written and was not able to finish it. Moved to Ispoure
 (Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port) and died there of double pneumonia at forty-six on December28.
 Buried at Saint Jean de Luz.

 1904 -- Unfinished historical novel "Veranilda" published.

 1905 -- "Will Warburton" published.

 1906 -- "The House of Cobwebs," a collection of short stories, published.

 1917 -- On February 27 Edith Underwood Gissing, his second legitimate wife, died at forty-five of
 "organic brain disease."

 1954 -- In April Gabrielle Fleury, his third wife in name only, injured in a street accident and
 died several months later.
 
 

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