Lord Byron - Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know. Notorious romantic hero and rock star poet, a genius obsessed by image.

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George Gordon Noel Bryon, who became the 6th Lord Byron, was born 22 January 1788 in London and died on 19 April 1824 in Greece, while engaged in the struggle for Greek independence.

He was born with a clubfoot and was taken to Aberdeen by his mother Catherine Gordon to attend a grammar school.

At the age of ten, he inherited the estate and title of his great uncle and moved into the ruins of Newstead Abbey with his mother, who hired a doctor to cure his clubfoot.

Bryon attended Harrow where he developed close friendships with several boys - possibly the first step in his sexual ambivalence in later life. In 1803, he started courting his distant cousin Mary Chaworth who soon grew tired of the 'lame boy', a decision she would come to regret when Byron rose to fame for his poetry.

Sexually irresistible to both women and men - his scandals shocked the nation. Byron was the 19th century superstar fated to live fast and die young.

In the early 19th century, Lord Byron had achieved superstardom through his poetry and lifestyle. He had his first book of poems called 'Hours of Idleness' published in June 1807.

Poetry was the rock n roll of the age and Byron had achieved cult status as the archetypal romantic poet.

Women were intoxicated with his poetry and showered him with letters of affection. He indulged his huge sexual appetite as young and old, married and single, male and female fell at his feet.

Scandal lingered around these relationships creating his legend. However, rumours of sexual deviancy tainted his popularity and he fled the society that had once adored him.

One of these scandals occurred in 1812 when Bryon embarked on a well-publicised affair with married Lady Caroline Lamb, which shocked the public. She continued to pursue him after he had grown tired of her, leading to the poem 'Remember Thee! Remember Thee!'

There was also talk of an incestuous relationship with his half-sister Augusta Leigh, of whom he had seen little during childhood. The pair became close in adulthood and even though Leigh was married - there were rumours of an affair.

Sexually driven, but politically motivated, Byron stood up for the weak and poor, both on his own doorstep and abroad.

 

 

 

 

Byron is a British television film based on the adult life of English poet Lord Byron. Written by Nick Dear and directed by Julian Farino, it features Jonny Lee Miller in the title role alongside Vanessa Redgrave who portrays Lady Melbourne. It was first aired by the BBC in two, 75 minute parts in September 2003.