Coventry Patmore

Coventry Patmore was a three-times-married poet who lived at Old Hastings House. He had St Mary Star of the Sea Church built in memory of his second wife. He paid local children a farthing a bucket for beach pebbles with which to build the church.His poetry was highly regarded, but the establishment and friends like Tennyson dropped him when he became a Catholic. Patmore loved women, and there is controversy as to whom his Angel in the House was dedicated. I think it was Alice Meynell. Patmore loved her, and was jealous of anyone else who loved her in any way, e.g. Francis Thompson -  of whom more in a later post.