Arthur Hugh Clough marries Blanche Smith

Arthur Hugh Clough, engraving

Clough married Blanche Smith on 13 June 1853 after a prolonged, long-distance engagement (Chorley 295). During the early years of the marriage, Clough and Blanche lived primarily in London, although they traveled extensively—sometimes together and sometimes apart—in the last year of Clough’s life when his health was failing. The couple had 4 children together, although one son died in early infancy (Chorley 310). Their youngest child, Blanche Athena, later became a principal of Newnham College, Cambridge, following in the footsteps of her paternal aunt. Through Blanche, Clough met Florence Nightingale, with whom he worked on a lengthy report on medical practices in the British military (Kenny 268-9).

Image: Engraving of Arthur Hugh Clough. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less.

Works Referenced

Chorley, Katharine. Arthur Hugh Clough: The Uncommitted Mind. Clarendon Press, 1962. 

Kenny, Anthony. Arthur Hugh Clough: A Poet’s Life. Bloomsbury Academic, 2005.

Associated Place(s)

Event date:

13 Jun 1854