Biography of Margaret Anne Thomson 1833-1865

Diary of Ford Madox Brown. 10th March 1855. Up at 9 to work by 11. Drew at the mans hand again, then painted in the womans glove from Lucy holding the Nurse's hand — dined, then at 4 P.M. out into back yard & painted the mans hand from my own with Lucy holding it (in a Glass). Snow on the ground & very cold. Tea in Emma's bed room she having a sore throat. Paid nurse £4, she going this even. Found the hand too small & arm to long, the eveng worked towards remedying it — but not energy enough to rub it out. Accoumpts, & this filled up since the 3rd of current (6% hours). I had a letter from Rossetti, Thursday, saying that Ruskin had bought all Miss Siddal’s ("Guggum’s") drawings⁴¹ & said they beat Rossettis own. This is like R. the incarnation of exageration, however he is right to admire them. She is a stunner & no mistake. Rossetti once told me that when he first saw her he felt his destiny was defined; why does he not marry her? He once told me that Hannay when he first knew him used to be so hard up, that he used never to be at home in the day time because of the "rent". He used to go out before the people were up & go home when they were in bed.⁴² This was constant with him & he never apparantly eat at all — when he had a little money he used to go & get beer or grog with it. Rossetti & he having been all the fore noon together found about sixpence between them on which to refresh themselves. Rossetti proposed to go to some "alamode beef" place & get as much to eat as it would afford, Hannay quite stared — he expected it was to go for beer, however Rossetti stuck out for food of a solid nature & prevailed. Hannay now does well, only is so precious idle. His satire & satirists is a delightful book & will last. They say his wife & child are very beautiful. I hope Oliver will be better looking than my two other chicks promis to be. Katty seems if she

Note 41. "Ruskin saw and bought on the spot every scrap of designs hitherto produced by Miss Siddal. He declared that they were far better than mine, or almost than anyone's, and seemed quite wild with delight at getting them. He asked me to name a price for them ... He is going to have them splendidly mounted and bound together in gold” (Letters, PP-244-5). Rossetti was aware of the encouragement this brought her.

Note 42. James Hannay (1827-73), journalist and novelist, was the author of Satire and Satirist, 1854, a collection of lectures given the previous year. Impecunious and dissipated in youth, he changed his lodgings seven times in the space of two years. His wife, Margaret Thompson (age 22), whom he had married in February 1853 bore him several children (the second, a daughter, Elizabeth, had been born on 1 Mar. ). She sat to Rossetti for Beatrice in Dante's Dream (1856).

Note 43. Eating houses in the commercial quarters of London, where stewed beef was served.