Skip main navigation

Glossary of Place Names

Abbeville (Somme, Picardy, France), inhabited place [7010587]

Situated on the river Somme, c. 60 miles south of Calais (in the far north of France), Abbeville became an important and increasingly wealthy town in the 18th century due to its famous Van Robais Royal Manufacture of luxury fabrics. Gray visited Abbeville, having travelled south from Calais, on 31st March 1739 N.S. while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. He described his impressions of the town and visits to two convents in a letter to his mother sent from Amiens on the following day. Much later, in March 1770, Gray's friend De Bonstetten wrote a letter to Gray from Abbeville on his way home to Switzerland. In June 1771, finally, Gray's friend Norton Nicholls wrote to Gray from Paris relating his impressions of Abbeville. He was on his way to visit De Bonstetten in Switzerland, a journey Gray had contemplated taking with Nicholls, but was then no longer equal to the exertion.

Aberdeen (Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7009782]

Located on a bay of the North Sea, between the mouths of the rivers Don and Dee on the northeastern coast of Scotland, Aberdeen was home to two universities in the 18th century: King's College, founded in 1495 by Bishop William Elphinstone, and Marischal College, founded in 1593 by the 4th Earl Marischal on the site of the Franciscan Friary. Although Gray went on an extensive tour in the Scottish Highlands with Lord Strathmore between August and October of 1765, he failed to visit Aberdeen. However, he corresponded with and invited James Beattie, Professor of Moral Philosophy and Logic, at Marischal College to meet with him at Glamis Castle, Lord Strathmore's residence. Gray refused an offer by Marischal College to receive a doctor of laws degree on the ground that he had not taken it at Cambridge University.

Amiens (Somme, Picardy, France), inhabited place [7010588]

Amiens, situated on the Somme river c. 75 miles north of Paris, is the capital of the Picardie region in the north of France. It is the site of Amiens Cathedral, one of the largest 'classic' Gothic churches of the 13th century. Gray visited Amiens, having travelled southeast from Abbeville, on 1st April 1739 N.S. while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. He described his impressions in a letter to his mother sent from Amiens and in a letter to West sent from Paris. Much later, in June 1771, Gray's friend Norton Nicholls wrote to Gray from Paris relating his impressions of Amiens. He was on his way to visit De Bonstetten in Switzerland, a journey Gray had contemplated taking with Nicholls, but was then no longer equal to the exertion.

Andover (Hampshire, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7011400]

Situated west of Basingstoke in Hampshire, Andover was a busy stopping point on the stagecoach routes between Exeter, Salisbury and London in the 18th century. Gray's initially anonymous critic, Mr Butler, lived in the neighbourhood of Andover. He posted his letters of criticism of the "Bard" and the "Progress of Poesy", which had been published in 1757, from the Andover post-office in December 1757 and January 1758 respectively. Later, in 1768, Gray instructed his publisher, James Dodsley, to send a copy of his Poems to Mr Butler in Andover.

Aston (Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7029839]

Located c. five miles east of Sheffield, it was Aston to which William Mason, Gray's friend, literary executor, and biographer, was appointed Rector in 1754. Gray visited Mason in Aston several times. Christopher Alderson became Mason's curate there in 1763 and on the death of Mason in 1797 he succeeded him as Rector.

Aubonne (Vaud, Switzerland), inhabited place [7007297]

Situated on the north side of Lake Geneva, c. ten miles west of Lausanne, Aubonne was the home of De Bonstetten's brother, whom he visited after his return from England in 1770. De Bonstetten wrote a letter to Gray from there in November of that year.

Bath (Bath and Northeast Somerset, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7011197]

Located c. 15 miles east of Bristol, Bath was a resort city for the wealthy from Elizabethan to Georgian times, and as a result of its popularity during the latter period, the city is dominated by some of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in Britain in their characteristic uniformity of colour. In 1769 Norton Nicholls met and befriended De Bonstetten there and later introduced him to Gray at Cambridge.

Bern (Bern canton, Switzerland), inhabited place [7007557]

Bern is the capital of Switzerland, situated on the river Aare in the heartland of the country. It was the home town of Charles Victor de Bonstetten, son of the then treasurer of the canton of Bern, who wrote several letters to Gray from there after his return to Switzerland in 1770.

Blundeston (Suffolk, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place

Located c. three miles north of Lowestoft and c. 20 miles southeast of Norwich, Blundeston was the home, from 1767, of Gray's friend Norton Nicholls. Having been ordained earlier in the year, he was presented to the livings of Lound and Bradwell in October 1767.

Bologna (Bologna province, Emilia-Romagna, Italy), inhabited place [7004847]

Situated between the Po River and the Apennines in northern Italy, Bologna emerged from Roman origins through the middle ages as a city of learning. Its University, founded in 1088, is one of the oldest in the world and over the centuries has attracted the brightest minds in Europe. Gray visited Bologna, having travelled there from Genoa, for twelve days in the winter of 1739 while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. He described his impressions in a letter to his mother sent from there on 9 December 1739. Gray later advised his friend William Palgrave on what to see in Bologna.

Brussels (Bruxelles region, Belgium), inhabited place [7007868]

Brussels is the centrally-located capital of Belgium. From the mid-18th century, the city developed increasingly as an economic centre for the manufacture of articles of luxury. Gray's friend William Taylor How wrote a letter to Gray from there on his way back from a visit to Italy for the sake of his health.

Burnham (Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7026497]

Located just west of Stoke Poges and c. 25 miles west of London, Burnham was originally the home of Gray's uncle Robert Antrobus, who supervised him at Eton. On his death in 1730, the property passed on to his sister, Gray's aunt, Anne who lived there with her husband Jonathan Rogers, a retired attorney, until his death in 1742. Gray stayed with the couple in the late summer of 1736.

Cambridge (Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7010874] | see gallery

Located c. 50 miles north of London, Cambridge is an old English university town and the regional centre of the county of Cambridgeshire. Gray attended Cambridge University (Peterhouse) from 1734 to 1738, together with his Eton friends Horace Walpole and Thomas Ashton (both King's College). In 1742, shortly after his return from the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole, Gray returned to his old college in Cambridge (also referred to, occasionally, as Cantabridge, Cambr:, C: etc.) to study law, and the University remained his headquarters for the rest of his life. Almost half of Gray's surviving correspondence was conducted while resident at Cambridge. In 1756, he moved from Peterhouse (sometimes also referred to as St Peter's, P:C:, Pet: Col: etc.) across the street to Pembroke College (also Pemb: Hall, Pemb: Coll:, P: Hall etc.). Gray died in his rooms at Pembroke on 30 July 1771 and was buried at Stoke Poges.

Chiswick (Hounslow, Greater London, England, United Kingdom), neighborhood [1004281]

A few miles west of the city centre of London, Chiswick was the temporary place of residence of William Mason's distant relation Robert Darcy, 4th earl of Holdernesse (1718-1778). Mason wrote a letter to Gray from Lord Holdernesse's villa there in 1755.

Dijon (Côte-d'Or, Burgundy region, France), inhabited place [7008224]

Situated on the Canal de Bourgogne, c. 200 miles south-east of Paris, Dijon is the historical capital of the Burgundy region in eastern France. Gray visited Dijon, having travelled south from Reims, for four days in September 1739 while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. He described his very positive impressions in a letter to his father sent from there on 11 September N.S.

Dover (Kent, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7011554]

The closest point of proximity between England and continental Europe, just 21 miles from the French port of Calais, Dover was an important channel port and point of departure for Gray and Walpole when they set out for the Grand Tour on 29 March 1739. On his arrival back in England about 1 September 1741, Gray wrote a letter from there to John Chute whom Gray and Walpole had met at Florence in 1740, and with whom Gray spent two months at Venice after he had parted from Walpole at Reggio. Later, in the Spring of 1766, Gray travelled through Kent, revisiting Dover and relating his impressions in letters to friends.

Durham (England, United Kingdom), county [7008127]

Durham, a small cathedral town in the northeast of England, roughly 20 miles south of Newcastle upon Tyne, was the centre of the administrative, geographic, and historic county of Durham on the North Sea coast. In the summer of 1753, Gray accompanied Richard Stonhewer on a visit to Houghton le Spring, in historic County Durham, the parish of which Stonhewer's father was Rector from 1727. On this occasion (and several others to follow), Gray visited his old friend Wharton who had succeeded to the estate of Old Park, near Darlington, Durham, on the death of his father in 1752. Wharton made Old Park his permanent place of residence from 1758.

Epsom (Surrey, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7011734]

Epsom is a town in the county of Surrey, c. 15 miles south-west of London. Gray's friend Richard West spent most of the winter of 1738/39 with his mother and sister there. Several letters seem to have passed between them during this period, of which only one survives. Epsom was also the place of residence of Gray's friend John Clerke. On the death of Clerke's wife (27 April 1757), Gray wrote the epitaph, which is inscribed on the tablet to her memory in the Church of Beckenham, Kent.

Florence (Firenze province, Tuscany, Italy), inhabited place [7000457]

Situated on the river Arno in north-west Italy, Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany. A centre of medieval European trade and finance, the city is sometimes considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Florence is famous for its wealth of fine art and architecture. Gray intermittently stayed in Florence, having travelled there from Bologna, from mid-December 1739 to April 1741, while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. They spent the Spring months of 1740 with Horace Mann, a distant relation of Walpole's and Minister at the Court of Tuscany, and met, among others, John Chute there. Gray wrote more than a dozen letters from there mainly to his parents and to his friend Richard West.

Genoa (Genova province, Liguria, Italy), inhabited place [7008546]

A seaport on the Mediterranean Sea in north-west Italy, Genoa is the capital of Liguria. It is famous for its Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace) and the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence Cathedral). Gray visited Genoa, having travelled there from Turin, for a few days in November 1739 while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. He described his very positive impressions of the city, the harbour, and the Mediterranean in a letter to his friend West sent from there on 21 November.

Glamis Castle (Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom), castle [1100274]

Glamis Castle, the seat of the Earls of Strathmore, is situated beside the village of Glamis c. 50 miles north of Edinburgh. Gray was a visitor there in September 1765 and went on an extensive tour in the Scottish Highlands with Lord Strathmore between August and October of that year. He met James Beattie, Professor of Moral Philosophy and Logic at Marischal College, Aberdeen, there.

Hanover (Hannover district, Lower Saxony, Germany), inhabited place [7013260]

Hanover, situated on the Leine river in northern Germany, is the capital of the state of Lower Saxony. It became an Electorate in 1692 and through the marriage of Elector Ernst August to Princess Sophie of the Palatinate, the House of Hanover claimed the British throne. Their son ascended to the throne as George I, King of Great Britain and Ireland in 1714. Hanover's "personal union" with Great Britain ended in 1837. Gray's friend William Mason accompanied Lord Holdernesse, a secretary of state from 1751, on a visit to Germany, when King George II went to Hanover in the Spring of 1755. He described his impressions of northern Germany in a letter to Gray sent from Hanover on 27 June.

Hornby Castle (North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom), castle

Hornby Castle, the residence of William Mason's distant relation Robert Darcy, 4th earl of Holdernesse (1718-1778), is situated in historic County Yorkshire North Riding c. five miles south of Richmond. Mason wrote a letter to Gray from there in 1768.

Kingston-Upon-Hull (Kingston upon Hull, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7010370]

Kingston upon Hull or simply Hull, situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary c. 50 miles northeast of Sheffield, was the home town of William Mason. His father, the Rev. William Mason, was Vicar of Holy Trinity in Hull, the largest parish church in England, from 1722 to his death in 1753. Mason stayed there for several weeks after the death of his father and wrote a letter from there to Gray.

Lancaster (Lancashire, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7010393]

Lancaster, located on the river Lune c. 50 miles north of Liverpool, is on the main access route into the Lake District from the south. Gray passed through it, visiting its great castle, on his way back from a visit to the Lakes and wrote a letter from there to James Brown in October of 1769.

London (Greater London, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7011781] | see gallery

Situated on the river Thames, in the south-east of the country, London was the political, commercial, and cultural capital of Great Britain and by the 18th century the biggest city in the world. Thomas Gray was born in London at his parent's house at 41 Cornhill, near St Michael's Church, and spent his early childhood there until 1725, when he was sent to Eton. This childhood home burned down in 1748. Gray visited and stayed in London frequently, but lived there only intermittently, most notably for a while after his return from the Grand Tour, and from 1759 to 1761, when he took up lodgings in Southampton-row, at Wharton's old place, to study at the newly opened British Museum.

Lyon (Rhône, Rhône-Alpes, France), inhabited place [7008772]

Situated in eastern central France c. 100 miles south of Dijon, Lyon emerged from Roman origins during the Renaissance as a centre of the silk trade, especially with Italy. Gray visited Lyon, having travelled there from Dijon, in September and October of 1739 while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. Gray wrote several letters from there to his parents and to his friend Richard West.

Milton (Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [1030066]

Milton, a village on the Ely road c. three miles from Cambridge, was the place of residence of William Cole, when he wrote a letter to Gray from there in 1770.

Naples (Napoli province, Campania, Italy), inhabited place [7004474]

Situated on the Tyrrhenian Sea, near Mount Vesuvius c. 100 miles southeast of Rome, Naples was an artistical and cultural centre and became an independent monarchy in the 18th century. It was the site of the ongoing excavations at Herculaneum, the Roman town destroyed during the same series of eruptions that obliterated Pompeii. Gray visited Naples, on an excursion from Rome, in June 1740 while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. He wrote a letter to his mother from there on 14 June.

Oxford (Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7011931]

Located c. 50 miles west of London, Oxford is the regional centre of the county of Oxfordshire and the home of the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Gray's friend Richard West attended Christ Church, Oxford, from 1735 to 1738 as the only one of the Eton 'Quadruple Alliance'. West regularly corresponded with Gray throughout this time of separation. Gray visited Oxford much later on one of his excursions into the country in August 1770.

Paris (Ville de Paris department, Ile-de-France, France), inhabited place [7008038]

Situated on the river Seine, in northern France, Paris was the cultural and political centre of France. Gray visited Paris, having travelled there from Amiens, from April to June 1739 while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. Walpole's connections opened the doors to fashionable society for the two, and they indulged in sightseeing and the amusements of the Parisian night-life. Gray described his impressions and adventures among Parisian society in several letters to his friends West and Ashton. Much later, in 1770, Gray's friend De Bonstetten wrote several letters to Gray from Paris on his way home to Switzerland. In June 1771, finally, Gray's friend Norton Nicholls wrote to Gray from Paris. He was on his way to visit De Bonstetten in Switzerland, a journey Gray had contemplated taking with Nicholls, but was then no longer equal to the exertion.

Pisa (Pisa province, Tuscany, Italy), inhabited place [7006082]

Situated at the mouth of the river Arno on the Mediterranean, Pisa was an important commercial centre from the Middle Ages. It was, from 1762, the residence of Conte Algarotti and at the same time of William Taylor How who passed on letters from Conte Algarotti to both Gray and Mason.

Pope's (Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place

Located near Hatfield, c. 15 miles north of London, Pope's was the home of David Mitchell, Esq., where Richard West spent the last few months of his life in 1742. Gray and West corresponded regularly while West was there.

Reims (Marne, Champagne-Ardenne, France), inhabited place [7011060]

Situated c. 90 miles east-northeast of Paris, Reims lies in the Champagne-Ardenne region in eastern France. It is, most notably, the place of Reims Cathedral, Notre Dame de Reims, where most of the French monarchs were crowned. Gray visited Reims, having travelled there from Paris, in June and July of 1739 while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. He wrote several letters from there to his parents and to his friends Richard West and Thomas Ashton.

Rome (Roma province, Lazio, Italy), inhabited place [7000874]

Situated on the river Tiber, in the central part of the country, Rome is the capital of Italy. It emerged from Roman origins through the middle ages as the world-wide centre of Christianity and the Papal States. Gray visited Rome, having travelled there from Florence via Siena, from March to July 1740 while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. They saw all the famous sites, including many art galleries and Vatican City, and made a number of excursions, among others to the Duke of Modena's at Tivoli. Gray wrote several letters from there to his mother and friends back in England.

Royal Tunbridge Wells (Kent, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7011676]

Situated c. 30 miles southeast of the city centre of London, and named after the nearby town of Tonbridge, which was then spelt 'Tunbridge', Tunbridge Wells was founded around the Chalybeate Spring, discovered in 1606, and developed as a spa town around it. Gray's friend William Mason wrote a letter to Gray from there in 1755.

Southampton (Southampton, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7011385]

A sea-port, situated on the south coast of England approximately halfway between Portsmouth and Bournemouth, Southampton was historically in the county of Hampshire. Gray visited it on one of his excursions into the country in October 1764. He wrote two letters from there to his friend James Brown.

Spa (Lihge province, Wallonia, Belgium), inhabited place [7007991]

Spa is a municipality, located c. 50 miles east-southeast of Brussels, in the Belgian province of Lihge. Gray's friend William Taylor How wrote a letter to Gray from there on his way back from a visit to Italy for the sake of his health.

Stoke Poges (Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7011896] | see gallery

A village in Buckinghamshire, located c. 25 miles west of London, West End, Stoke Poges, was the residence, from 1742, of Gray's mother and her sisters Mary and Anne. In the following years, Gray, consequently, spent his summers away from university at Stoke Poges. It was there, at Lady Cobham's residence Stoke Manor House, that he made the acquaintance of Lady Schaub and Henrietta Jane Speed in the summer of 1750, which led to the composition of "A Long Story". In 1759 Gray's connection with Stoke Poges ended when his last relative there died. Gray is buried in Stoke Poges in the same vault as his mother in the churchyard of St Giles church.

Strawberry Hill (Richmond upon Thames, Greater London, England, United Kingdom), neighborhood [4010855]

Strawberry Hill, near Twickenham in southwest London, was the place of the 18th-century Gothic revival mansion, which was the home, from 1747, of Horace Walpole, who had it built to his own specification. In 1757 Walpole opened his private press there, the first production of which was the printing of two unpublished odes by Gray. Walpole wrote a letter to Gray from there in 1760.

Syon Hill (Isleworth, Hounslow, Greater London, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place

A few miles southwest of the city centre of London, Syon Hill was the residence of the Duke of Northumberland. William Mason wrote two letters to Gray from there in 1758.

Tivoli (Roma province, Lazio, Italy), inhabited place [7006968]

Situated on the Aniene river, c. 15 miles east of Rome in the Monti Tiburtini hills, Tivoli is a historic hilltown famous for its great monuments, the Villa d'Este and the Villa Adriana (Hadrian's Villa). Gray visited Tivoli, on an excursion from Rome, in May 1740 while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. He wrote a letter to his friend West from there on 20/21 May.

Turin (Torino province, Piedmont, Italy), inhabited place [7005688]

Located mainly on the west bank of the Po River, in the far northwest of Italy, Turin, the origins of which can be traced to pre-Roman times, was the capital of the Piedmont region. Gray visited Turin, having travelled there from Lyon, in November 1739 while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. He wrote letters from there to his mother and to his friend Richard West.

The Vyne (Hampshire, England, United Kingdom), country house

Situated just north of Basingstoke, c. 50 miles west-southwest of London, the Vyne was built in the 16th-century for Lord Sandys, Henry VIII's Lord Chamberlain, and then became home to the Chute family for over 300 years. John Chute, who had made Gray's and Walpole's acquaintance in Florence in 1740 and with whom Gray spent two months at Venice after he had parted from Walpole at Reggio in 1741, succeeded to the family estates in 1754. Gray visited him there in the following year and in 1756.

Wadworth (Doncaster unitary authority, South Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7030631]

"Four miles south of Doncaster. Mason's first cousin, Ann Robinson, daughter of Arthur Robinson, of Hull, and of Mary Mason, his father's sister, married Josiah Wordsworth, of Wadworth [...]" (Correspondence of Thomas Gray. Ed. by the late Paget Toynbee and Leonard Whibley, in 3 vols., with corrections and additions by H. W. Starr. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1971 [1st ed. 1935], vol. i, 443). Mason wrote a letter to Gray from there in 1755.

Winchester (Hampshire, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7011375]

Situated in southern England, c. 10 miles north of Southampton, Winchester is the administrative capital of the county of Hampshire. Its important historic buildings include Winchester Cathedral, built in the 12th century, and Winchester College, a public school founded in 1382. Gray visited Winchester in the autumn of 1764. Thomas Warton, whose brother Dr Joseph Warton was at this time head master of Winchester, wrote a letter to Gray from there in 1770.

York (York, England, United Kingdom), inhabited place [7011995]

Built at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss, c. 50 miles west-northwest of Hull in north England, York is the traditional county town of Yorkshire, to which it lends its name. Gray's friend William Mason was appointed Canon Residentiary and Precentor of York in 1762. Gray visited him there several times.