Posted by Robert Dilley on June 25, 2001 at 20:19:00 from 216.211.68.42:
In Reply to: Not so Fictional Locations posted by Adam Quinan on June 25, 2001 at 11:19:41:
As Adam notes, John Christian was of Manx lineage. He was a prosperous Cumberland farmer, twice MP for Carlisle. He married Isabella, only surviving child of Henry Curwen, a Workington ironmaster, and shortly after (1790) added Curwen to his name (he usually signed himself "John Christian Curwen"). It is reputed that this change was a condition of the marriage, Isabella being Curwen's only hope of perpetuating his name. Whether Christian did so for love of Isabella or for love of her father's riches (considerably more than his own) I have no idea. See p 110 of my doctoral thesis!