Talk:Hester Thrale

Untitled
I know it's a tricky subject, but isn't she usually known as Hester Lynch Piozzi these days? That's how the Library of Congress catalogs her. PRiis 18:46, 18 Aug 2004 (UTC).


 * Not tricky at all! I have clarified this and created a redirect from Hester Lynch Piozzi David Thrale 18:16, 19 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Great! I guess it was just tricky for me. I'm still having trouble with that "be bold" thing sometimes.PRiis 18:28, 19 Aug 2004 (UTC)


 * Just a note: she is now known almost exclusively as Hester Lynch Piozzi or Mrs. Piozzi; however, for 200 years she was known exclusively as "Mrs. Thrale" or "Hester Thrale," so I entirely agree with keeping this article with the usage that is of longest duration and having a redirect from the newer usage. (A harder case will be Fanny Burney vs. what Pat Spacks alone got everyone to say, Frances Burney, despite the fact that the woman referred to herself as Fanny.) Geogre 02:13, 13 Oct 2004 (UTC)

To be perfectly honest, she is still widely referred to as "Mrs. Thrale." The Mrs. Piozzi is nothing more than "Revisionalism." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.244.188.132 (talk) 03:46, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

It's now somewhat outdated to refer to her as Hester Thrale. I'd suggest renaming the page using her last surname rather than redirecting from Thrale it if no one has any serious opposition. 215lax (talk) 14:21, 22 March 2020 (UTC)

As an author she is referred to as Hester Thrale. No need to change the page name, in my opinion. Bmcln1 (talk) 21:08, 22 March 2020 (UTC)

I'd respectfully note that Hester only began to circulate published works following her marriage to Gabriel Piozzi. This was in part due to Henry Thrale's disdain for Hester's literary talents -- the ideal eighteenth century woman did not "work" -- but also in part due to her need for money after ceding majority control of the Thrale legacy to her daughters. At no time did she ever publish letters under her late husband's name. If my memory serves me right her magnus opus of the Streatham years, Thraliana, has still never been published and is at Harvard's Houghton Library. 215lax (talk) 20:40, 23 March 2020 (UTC)

Removed text
I removed the following:
 * "She was an author in her own right and her ana Thraliana is important because it was almost, if not quite, the first English Ana."

Let me explain: While I think it's good at the head of an article to indicate the importance of the figure, "Thraliana" is a general collection of her diaries (unpublished by her) and two books that she did publish. Since these two publications (the Anecdotes and Correspondence) are going to be listed later in the article, in their chronological position, it seemed wise not to tip the hand too early by mentioning them at the top. Secondly, though, I honestly have no idea what an "Ana" is, other than the name of a woman. I don't want to accuse anyone of neologism, but since it was a redlink, I thought it wasn't serving the article's needs. I could be dead wrong. Geogre 02:25, 13 Oct 2004 (UTC)


 * 'Ana' isn't a neologism. It was a popular hobby in the late 18th century and is similar to scrapbooking. Diaries at the time were more often full of personal reflections. An 'Ana' could be collected by one person or by an entire family, and would generally contain stories about the people around them, their sayings and phrases, and descriptions of events the writer or writers had attended. --70.72.19.133 05:51, 23 August 2006 (UTC)

Her 'Mistaken' Birthday
I have removed the reference to her 'mistakenly' celebrating her birthday on January 27. It almost certainly wasn't a mistake but a response to the loss of 11 days when Britain changed from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1752. It was common for people to continue celebrating their birthdays on the Old Style date. See Gregorian calendar for further details. --70.72.19.133 05:51, 23 August 2006 (UTC)

Her last words
I have removed the claim that her last of dying words were "I will never forget Alisha i will always be with her". This is a hoax. There is no verifiable source for this claim. No person called Alisha in her very well documented circle of friends. Her last words are not known. Instead it is known that she outlined the shape of a coffin with her finger to those at her death bed.David Thrale 21:54, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

article on Hester Thrale
This article is a bit light on references. No mention of James Clifford's 'Hester Lynch Piozzi (Mrs. Thrale)' first published in 1941, or of my own 'Hester: The Remarkable Life of Dr. Johnson's 'Dear Mistress'' which came out in 2008. 80.189.42.190 (talk) 18:41, 13 May 2013 (UTC)

Marginal notes to Pepys' diary?
is my imagination playing a trick on me or is Mrs. Piozzi not known for her marginal notes to Pepys' diary? If so, I find it strange that this is not mentioned here. Kostaki mou (talk) 16:03, 29 June 2018 (UTC)

Requested move 22 March 2020

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this section. 

Hester Thrale → Hester Piozzi – The general academic consensus is that the person in question is referred to as Hester Piozzi, her final surname following her second marriage to Gabriel Piozzi, rather than Hester Thrale, by which she was better known to Victorian and Edwardian scholarship. The formerly widespread usage of "Mrs. Thrale" is rooted in Samuel Johnson's insistence that she be called by her former husband's surname in his presence instead of any sort of academic convention. "Mrs. Piozzi" is the usage preferred by all of her biographers and, additionally, follows the format used by the Library of Congress. 215lax (talk) 15:02, 22 March 2020 (UTC) —Relisting. Jerm (talk) 19:11, 29 March 2020 (UTC)


 * Oppose. Can't see any reason for this. At the moment she is still widely known as Mrs Thrale. If it really needs to be changed, I would suggest that "Hester Lynch Piozzi" is the correct destination. Deb (talk) 11:06, 2 April 2020 (UTC)


 * The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.