Two intimate autograph letters by the great Romantic poet Lord George Byron, offering a rare glimpse into the early life and scandalous affairs of one of Britain’s most celebrated literary figures, are coming to auction at Chorley’s. The letters, written in 1805 and 1808 to his London landlady and moneylender Mrs Massingberd, display two very different sides of Byron - the polite Cambridge undergraduate arranging his lodgings, and the notorious libertine dismissing a mistress.
Two intimate autograph letters by the great Romantic poet Lord George Byron, offering a rare glimpse into the early life and scandalous affairs of one of Britain’s most celebrated literary figures, are coming to auction at Cotswolds based Chorley’s Auctioneers.
The letters, written in 1805 and 1808 to his London landlady and moneylender Mrs Massingberd, display two very different sides of Byron - the polite Cambridge undergraduate arranging his lodgings, and the notorious libertine dismissing a mistress.
Byron Seeks Lodgings in Piccadilly
The first letter, written from Trinity College, Cambridge in December 1805, requests accommodation for Byron and his servant at Mrs Massingberd’s home at 16 Piccadilly. He writes with courtesy: “I should prefer mixing with the family… I should be unwilling to put you to the least trouble.” Despite this respectful tone, the relationship between Byron and the Massingberds was fraught with financial tension. Acting as intermediaries with moneylenders on his behalf, they were frequently left exposed by Byron’s unpaid debts and by 1811 they faced the threat of imprisonment due to his unpaid borrowings. Estimate: £4,000 – £6,000 (+ fees).
Byron Ends a Notorious Affair
In stark contrast, the second letter, dated 20 July 1808 from Brighton, brusquely announces the end of his affair with Caroline Cameron, a 16-year-old sex worker: “I have parted with Miss Cameron, and I beg she may have her clothes & the trunk containing them.” Byron had taken Cameron to Brighton in disguise, passing her off as his brother - a scandal that fed London gossip columns for years and significantly damaged his reputation. In other private letters, Byron admitted the intensity of their relationship, which left him “nearly worn out.” The Cameron affair, following closely on his romantic attachment to the choirboy John Edleston, exemplifies the turbulence and notoriety that would come to define Byron’s personal life. Estimate: £3,000 – £5,000 (+ fees).
Provenance and Importance
Both letters carry distinguished provenance, passing from Edmund Lionel Wells-Dymoke (1814–1892) through the novelist Anthony Powell (1905–2000), before being presented to writer Hugh Massingberd (1946–2007) – esteemed British journalist and social historian, and direct descendent of the Massingberd’s with whom Byron corresponds in these letters.
“These two letters vividly illustrate the radically different sides of Byron’s early adulthood,” said Werner Freundel, Chorley’s Director. “In one, he is the courteous student negotiating lodgings; in the other, the rakish young aristocrat embroiled in scandal. Together, they offer collectors an unusually intimate insight into the private world of one of literature’s greatest and most controversial figures.”
The letters will be offered in Chorley’s forthcoming Fine Books, Maps and Manuscripts sale on 23 September
Explore Chorley's September 2025 Auction
Rare Intimate Lord Byron Letters come to auction | Fine Books & Collections
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