Thomas Sedgwick Whalley

Thomas Sedgwick Whalley(1746–1828) was an English cleric, poet and traveller.

Thomas Sedgwick Whalley

Life

Born inCambridge,he was the third son ofJohn Whalley,Master ofPeterhouse, Cambridge,who married the only child of Francis Squire, canon and chancellor ofWells Cathedral;his mother died at Winscombe Court, Somerset, on 14 September 1803, aged 96.He was educated atSt John's College, Cambridge,matriculating in 1763, graduatingB.A.in 1767,M.A.in 1774, and in theChurch of Englandbeing ordained deacon in 1770 and priest in 1772.

In March 1772Edmund Keene,Bishop of Ely,presented Whalley to the rectory ofHagworthinghamin theLincolnshire fens,considered an unhealthy location; and made it a condition that he should never reside there. For over 50 years the duties were discharged by a curate. About 1825 Whalley built a parsonage-house for the benefice. He was appointed on 22 August 1777 to the prebendal stall of Combe (13) in Wells Cathedral, and retained it until 1826.

About 1776 Whalley purchased the centre house in theCrescentatBathand entertained there and atLangford Court.He associated with the set aroundAnna, Lady MilleratBath Easton,and wrote verses for her.Frances Burneydescribed him in her diary as "immensely tall, thin and handsome, but affected, delicate, and sentimentally pathetic". In the summer of 1783, for financial reasons, he and his wife broke up their establishments in England and went abroad. Langford Court, after being let for many years, was sold in 1804. Whalley spent the spring and winter for a long period insouthern France,Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium. At Paris in 1783, Whalley's appearance drew fromMarie-Antoinettethe compliment of "Le bel Anglais". He often spent the summer at Mendip Lodge (Langford Cottage), on the Mendip hills, where the grounds had grottos and terrace walks.Sarah Siddonsvisited him there.

Whalley was awarded a DD from theUniversity of Edinburghon 10 July 1808. Next winter he bought a house inBaker Street,London, and for some years lived there in great style. After the peace of 1814, he went abroad again. On his return in 1818, he purchased the centre house in Portland Place, Bath.

In 1825 Whalley bought the lease of a house atClifton,and in 1828 he left England, for the last time. A few weeks after his arrival atLa Flèchein France he died there of old age, on 3 September 1828, and was buried in the consecrated ground of the Roman Catholic church, a sarcophagus of dark slate with Latin inscription marking the spot.

Patron of painting

He was a patron of painting; a picture ofThe Woodman,byBarker of Bath,was painted for him, and, at his request,Sir Thomas Lawrencemade a crayon drawing of Cecilia Siddons, his god-daughter.

Works

Whalley kept journals of his continental experiences. Two volumes were edited in 1863 by Hill Wickham, rector of Horsington. They contain letters fromHester Piozzi,Sarah Siddons, andAnna Seward(lengthy). His other writings included:

• Edwy and Edilda[anon.]; a poetic tale in five parts, 1779; republished in 1794, with six engravings by a "young lady" (the daughter of Lady Langham).
• The Castle of Montval,a tragedy in five acts, 1781; 2nd edit., with a dedication to Mrs. Siddons, 1799; it was played at theTheatre Royal, Drury Lanein 1799.
• The Fatal Kiss,a poem [anon.], 1781; in the style ofAphra Behn,according to theMonthly Review.
• Verses addressed to Mrs. Siddons on her being engaged at Drury Lane Theatre,1782.
• Mont Blanc,a poem, 1788.
• Poems and Translations,circa 1797. This was assigned to him inLiterary Memoirs(1798).
• Kenneth and Fenella,a legendary tale, 1809.

Hannah Morewas a neighbour in the Mendips. Whalley supported her action over the school atBlagdonin an anonymous pamphlet,Animadversions on the Curate of Blagdon's Three Publications, 1802.

Family

Whalley married, on 6 January 1774, Elizabeth, only child of Edward Jones of Langford Court inBurringtonparish, Somerset, and widow of John Withers Sherwood, with whom he obtained a large fortune. She died on 8 December 1801. In May 1803 he married a Miss Heathcote, a lady of property inWiltshire;she died atSouthbroom House,nearDevizes,on 10 or 11 October 1807. In 1813 he married the widow of General Horneck (thought to be Charles Horneck who died at Bath on 8 April 1804). He discovered that she was heavily in debt, and they agreed to separate. She received from Whalley a settlement and a house in Catherine Place, Bath.

Notes

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Lee, Sidney,ed. (1899). "Whalley, Thomas Sedgwick".Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 60. London: Smith, Elder & Co.