What do you think?
Rate this book
The Queen of Love
The Queen of Love
Paperback
First published January 1, 1894
About the author
Sabine Baring-Gould
901 books71 followersSabine Baring-Gould was born in the parish of St Sidwell, Exeter. The eldest son of Edward Baring-Gould and his first wife, Sophia Charlotte (née Bond), he was named after a great-uncle, the Arctic explorer Sir Edward Sabine. Because the family spent much of his childhood travelling round Europe, most of his education was by private tutors. He only spent about two years in formal schooling, first at King's College School in London (then located in Somerset House) and then, for a few months, at Warwick Grammar School (now Warwick School). Here his time was ended by a bronchial disease of the kind that was to plague him throughout his long life. His father considered his ill-health as a good reason for another European tour.
In 1852 he was admitted to Cambridge University, earning the degrees of Bachelor of Arts in 1857, then Master of Arts in 1860 from Clare College, Cambridge. During 1864, he became the curate at Horbury Bridge, West Riding of Yorkshire. It was while acting as a curate that he met Grace Taylor, the daughter of a mill hand, then aged fourteen. In the next few years they fell in love. His vicar, John Sharp, arranged for Grace to live for two years with relatives in York to learn middle class manners. Baring-Gould, meanwhile, relocated to become perpetual curate at Dalton, near Thirsk. He and Grace were married in 1868 at Wakefield. Their marriage lasted until her death 48 years later, and the couple had 15 children, all but one of whom lived to adulthood. When he buried his wife in 1916 he had carved on her tombstone the Latin motto Dimidium Animae Meae ("Half my Soul").
Baring-Gould became the rector of East Mersea in Essex in 1871 and spent ten years there. In 1872 his father died and he inherited the 3,000 acre (12 km²) family estates of Lew Trenchard in Devon, which included the gift of the living of Lew Trenchard parish. When the living became vacant in 1881, he was able to appoint himself to it, becoming parson as well as squire. He did a great deal of work restoring St Peter's Church, Lew Trenchard, and (from 1883 – 1914) thoroughly remodelled his home, Lew Trenchard Manor.
In 1852 he was admitted to Cambridge University, earning the degrees of Bachelor of Arts in 1857, then Master of Arts in 1860 from Clare College, Cambridge. During 1864, he became the curate at Horbury Bridge, West Riding of Yorkshire. It was while acting as a curate that he met Grace Taylor, the daughter of a mill hand, then aged fourteen. In the next few years they fell in love. His vicar, John Sharp, arranged for Grace to live for two years with relatives in York to learn middle class manners. Baring-Gould, meanwhile, relocated to become perpetual curate at Dalton, near Thirsk. He and Grace were married in 1868 at Wakefield. Their marriage lasted until her death 48 years later, and the couple had 15 children, all but one of whom lived to adulthood. When he buried his wife in 1916 he had carved on her tombstone the Latin motto Dimidium Animae Meae ("Half my Soul").
Baring-Gould became the rector of East Mersea in Essex in 1871 and spent ten years there. In 1872 his father died and he inherited the 3,000 acre (12 km²) family estates of Lew Trenchard in Devon, which included the gift of the living of Lew Trenchard parish. When the living became vacant in 1881, he was able to appoint himself to it, becoming parson as well as squire. He did a great deal of work restoring St Peter's Church, Lew Trenchard, and (from 1883 – 1914) thoroughly remodelled his home, Lew Trenchard Manor.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 11, 2015
I enjoyed this book, though I found the plot unbelievable and the characters' motives inspired by a moral and social code so different from today's that their behaviour often seemed incredible (e.g. the hero, son of a domineering Methodist preacher, submissively gives up the circus-girl he loves to marry a bitter-tongued harridan because his father requires it to seal a business deal, - but also because he fears for his precious principles if he succumbs to the circus-girl's charms). The characters are stereotypes on one level: there is a rough-handed poacher called Rab Rainbow; his little niece, a legless angel; her decent-peasant parents: a faithful clown who adores the circus-girl etc.
So it's all a bit sub-Dickensian and the plot is resolved by action so melodramatic they wouldn't use it in a silent film. Yet, strangely, the author kept my interest by some kind of energy and authority in the authorial voice: and also because I believed in his picture of the artisan and small businessman class in a late 19th c. provincial town. He wasn't a native of the region he describes, but records it vividly. Because it happens to be the region where I now live, this picture had unusual interest for me. Perhaps his real gift was reportage, not fiction.
Oddity: One of his most vital characters is the harridan. He never explains why she is as horrid as she is, but I found myself inventing her back story because she seemed so real.
So it's all a bit sub-Dickensian and the plot is resolved by action so melodramatic they wouldn't use it in a silent film. Yet, strangely, the author kept my interest by some kind of energy and authority in the authorial voice: and also because I believed in his picture of the artisan and small businessman class in a late 19th c. provincial town. He wasn't a native of the region he describes, but records it vividly. Because it happens to be the region where I now live, this picture had unusual interest for me. Perhaps his real gift was reportage, not fiction.
Oddity: One of his most vital characters is the harridan. He never explains why she is as horrid as she is, but I found myself inventing her back story because she seemed so real.
Displaying 1 of 1 review