ABSTRACT
Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton, née Sheridan (1808–77), the granddaughter of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, was a writer and editor of literary annuals, including La Belle Assemblée and Court Magazine (1832–4) and The Keepsake (1836). A great beauty and a fashionable hostess, she often entertained Whig celebrities, and became particular friends with Lord Melbourne (1779–1848), the prime minister (in 1834 and 1835–1841). In 1836 her husband, George Norton (1801–75), sued Lord Melbourne, accusing him of ‘criminal connection’ with Caroline Norton. George Norton failed in this first step of a divorce proceeding, but Caroline Norton’s reputation was greatly damaged. Further scandal followed when the couple separated (Bennett, MWSL, vol. 2, pp. 243–4).
