George Borrow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Henry Borrow
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1843 portrait by Henry Wyndham Phillips at the National Portrait Gallery, London.
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| Born | 5 July 1803 East Dereham, Norfolk, England
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| Died | 26 July 1881 (aged 78) Lowestoft, Suffolk, England
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| Occupation | Author |
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Notable work
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| Spouse(s) | Mary Clarke (?–1869) |
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George Henry Borrow (born July 5, 1803 – died July 26, 1881) was an English writer. He wrote exciting novels and travel books based on his own adventures in Europe. He loved to travel and spent a lot of time with the Romani people (also known as Gypsies). They appear often in his stories.
His most famous books are The Bible in Spain and the novels Lavengro and The Romany Rye. These books tell about his time with the English Romanichal (Gypsies).
Contents
Early Life and Education
George Borrow was born in East Dereham, England. His father, Thomas Borrow, was an army officer. His mother was Ann Perfrement, a farmer's daughter.
From 1811 to 1813, George lived in army barracks at Norman Cross. His father was stationed there at a prisoner-of-war camp. George went to school at the Royal High School of Edinburgh. He also attended Norwich Grammar School.
Learning Languages and Traveling
Borrow studied law, but he was much more interested in languages and books. In 1825, he started his first big trip in Europe. He walked through France and Germany.
Over the next few years, he visited Russia, Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. He learned about the people and languages in each country. After he got married in 1840, he settled in Lowestoft, England. But he kept traveling both in the UK and other countries.
Adventures in Ireland
Because his father was in the army, George grew up in many different places. In 1815, he went with his father's regiment to Clonmel in Ireland. There, he went to a Protestant school. He learned to read Latin and Greek from a kind old clergyman.
He also started learning the Irish language. A fellow student named Murtagh taught him in exchange for a pack of playing cards. George also learned to ride horses without a saddle. In 1816, his regiment moved to Templemore. George then explored the countryside on foot and on horseback.
After less than a year, the regiment returned to Norwich. The army unit became much smaller as the threat of war ended.
Starting His Writing Career
When George was young, he was very good at learning languages. A scholar from Norwich named William Taylor became his mentor. Borrow wrote about Taylor in his book Lavengro (1851). Taylor encouraged Borrow to translate his first book. It was a German story called Faustus, his Life, Death and Descent into Hell.
In his translation, Borrow changed the name of one city. He made a funny comment about the people of Norwich. Because of this, the Norwich public library actually burned his first published book!
Journey to Russia
Borrow was very skilled at learning new languages. He told the British and Foreign Bible Society that he knew some Russian. He said he could read Russian books easily.
He left Norwich for St. Petersburg, Russia, in August 1833. The Bible Society asked him to help with a translation of the Bible into Manchu. Borrow was amazed by the beauty of St. Petersburg. He thought it was the most beautiful city in Europe.
During his two years in Russia, Borrow tried to meet the famous writer Alexander Pushkin. Pushkin was out, but Borrow left him copies of his translated works. Pushkin later said he wished he had met Borrow.
Borrow described the Russian people as "the best-natured kindest people in the world." He felt they were very friendly and helpful.
George Borrow always felt a special connection to nomadic people, like the Romani. He loved their music, dance, and customs. He learned the Romany language so well that he even published a dictionary of it. In 1835, he visited Russian Roma camped near Moscow. His experiences there became part of his book The Zincali: or an account of the Gypsies of Spain (1841).
After finishing his work on the Manchu Bible translation, Borrow returned to Norwich in September 1835. He wrote in his report that he was sad to leave Russia. He had arrived with some negative ideas about the country, but he found it to be pleasant. He also found the people to be kind and welcoming.
Mission in Spain
Borrow's work was so successful that the Bible Society sent him to Spain in November 1835. He stayed in Spain for almost five years. His memories from Spain became his famous travel book The Bible in Spain (1843).
He wrote about the people of Madrid. He said they were truly Spanish, unlike other cities with many foreign groups. He felt they would always remain Spanish.
Borrow translated parts of the Bible into the Romani and Basque languages. These translations were published in 1838. However, they were banned from being sold to individuals. Only public libraries were allowed to have copies.
Later Life and Works
In 1840, Borrow's work with the Bible Society ended. He married Mary Clarke, a widow with a grown-up daughter. They lived on her small estate near Lowestoft. This is where Borrow began to write his books.
The Zincali (1841) was somewhat successful. The Bible in Spain (1843) was a huge hit, making Borrow famous very quickly. However, his next books, Lavengro (1851) and The Romany Rye (1857), confused some readers. They weren't sure if the stories were true or made up. People still discuss this today.
Borrow made one more trip overseas to Istanbul in 1844. After that, he traveled mostly within the UK. He took long walking tours in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Cornwall, and the Isle of Man. Only his trip to Wales resulted in a book, Wild Wales (1862).
Borrow was a restless person. His family moved from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to London in the 1860s. He visited Romani camps in Wandsworth and Battersea. He wrote one more book, Romano Lavo-Lil (1874). This was a dictionary of the Anglo-Romany language.
Mary Borrow died in 1869. In 1874, George returned to Lowestoft. His stepdaughter Henrietta and her husband later joined him. They cared for him until he died on July 26, 1881. He is buried with his wife in Brompton Cemetery, London.
People described Borrow as a unique and interesting person. Even though he wasn't always praised during his lifetime, many modern reviewers like his unusual and cheerful writing style. One person called him "one of the most unusual people to have written in English in the last two hundred years."
Museums and Memorials
In 1913, the Lord Mayor of Norwich bought Borrow's house in Willow Lane. It was called Borrow House and given to the City of Norwich. For many years, it was open to the public as the Borrow Museum. The museum closed in 1994, and the house was sold. But the money from the sale helped create the George Borrow Trust. This trust works to promote his books.
There are special blue plaques marking places where he lived. You can find them at 22 Hereford Square, South Kensington, and at the former museum in Willow Lane, Norwich. In 2011, a plaque was put on a house in Madrid, Spain, where he lived from 1836 to 1840.
A street in Norwich, George Borrow Road, is named after him. There is also a George Borrow Hotel in Ponterwyd near Aberystwyth. A pub in Dereham is named The Romany Rye after one of his main books.
A fishing boat, the FV George Borrow (LT956), was also named after him. It was built in 1902. The George Borrow sailed until 1915, when a German U-boat destroyed it. The captain of the George Borrow was Thomas Crisp. He later received a special award called the Victoria Cross in 1917.
Principal Works
- The Zincali (1841)
- The Bible in Spain (1843)
- Lavengro (1851)
- The Romany Rye (1857)
- Wild Wales (1862)
- Romano Lavo-lil (1874) A dictionary of the language of the English Romanichal people.
See also
In Spanish: George Borrow para niños
