George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) was born on November 22, 1819, in Chilvers Coton, Warwickshire, near Nuneaton, Warwickshire. Eliot is famous for works like "Middlemarch" (1871-72), "The Mill on the Floss" (1860), and "Silas Marner" (1861). Read more about the life and times of George Eliot.
1819 George Eliot was born on November 22 at South Farm, Arbury, Warwichshire. She was the youngest of three children of Robert Evan's second marriage (to Christina Pearson). Eliot was baptized Mary Ann Evans at Chilvers Coton on November 29.
1820 The family moved to Griff House, where her father was an agent for the Arbury estate of Francis Newdigate.
1825-27 She attended Miss Lathom's School, Attleborough, with her sister Christina.
1828-32 She attended Mrs. Wallington's School, at Nuneaton, where she met Miss Lewis, the principal governess and a strong evangelical.
1832-35 She attended Miss Franklin's School, at Coventry, which was operated by the daughters of a Baptist minister.
1835 She left school at Christmas.
1836 Her mother died on February 3. She took charge of her father's household. She learned Italian and German from a Coventry teacher, and began to read Greek and Latin with the headmaster of Coventry Grammar School.
1838 She started a chart of ecclesiastical history.
1840 Her first publication, a religous poem, appeared in the "Christian Observer" in January.
1841 Her brother Isaac married, and took over the house at Griff. In March, Robert Evans and his daughter moved to a house in Foleshill Road, Coventry. Her faith was challenged.
1842 She refuseed to attend church with her father from January to May, but finally agreeed to accompany him. She translated parts of Spinoza for Charles Bray.
1843 She visited Dr. Brabant of Devizes in November with his daughter, who had undertaken a translation of David Friedrich Strauss's work of historical criticism, "Das Leben Jesu" (1835).
1844 She took over the translation of Strauss. She began to study Hebrew.
1846 "The Life of Jesus" was published in 3 volumes in June after much labour and many complaints of being "Strauss-sick."
1849 She translated Spinoza's "Tractatus" as a calming occupation during her father's last illness. Her father, Robert Evans died on May 31. She journeyed abroad in June with the Brays, and stayed in Geneva by herself for eight months.
1850 She returned to Coventry and lived with the Brays for seven months.
1851 She went to London to assist John Chapman in editing the "Westminster Review," and contributed a review of Mackay's "The Progress of the Intellect" to the January number. In March, she was driven away from 142 Strand by the jeolousy of Chapman's wife and mistress. In September, she returned to edit the journal. She met Herbert Spencer.
1852 She met Bessie Parkes and Barbara Leigh-Smith (later Madame Barbara Bodichon). On January 1, the first issue of "Westminster Review" was published under her editorship. She began a friendship with Lewes. She translated Feuerbach's "Das Wesen des Christentums" ("The Essence of Christianity"). Her friendship with Herbert Spencer caused rumors of an engagement.
1853 She moved from Chapman's to her own lodgings.
