As commemorated by a Blue Plaque, Carlyle (1795-1881), one of the most influential writers in the UK in the 19th century, arrived here at the Queen Anne house 24, Cheyne Row, Chelsea, in 1834 from the home that his wife had inherited in Craigenputtoch, near Dumfries. They lived the rest of their lives here. When he found and had decided to rent the house he wrote to his wife:
Our row runs out upon a parade running along the shore of the river...a broad highway with huge shady trees, boats lying moored and a smell of shipping and tar. Battersea Bridge is a few yards off; the broad river with white-trousered, white-shirted Cockneys dashing about like arrows in their long canoes of boats and beyond the green beautiful knolls of Surrey with their villages.'
He considered it was a:
'genteel neighbourhood, two ladies on one side, unknown character on the other, but with pianos'
By the time that he arrived here he was an established 'man of letters'. He had published major works on Goethe, Schiller and a 'History of German Literature' as well as Sartor Resartus which was his first piece of social philosophy and published in the US, with a forward by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Some of his major historical publications produced here were 'The French Revolution', 'Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches' and a six volume 'History of Frederick the Great'. These and his more political writings developed and promoted the attitude defined in Chambers Biographical Dictionary as 'strong, benevolent autocracy as the best protection of freedom' and 'right wing political attitudes, with their emphasis on duty, obedience and punishment.' His output all but ceased on the sudden death of his wife in 1866.
Among his acquaintance, and his visitors, were Coleridge, Dickens, Hazlitt, Thomas Campbell and John Stuart Mill. On an occasion early in Carlyle's residence here, when the last of those was visiting, Mill's maidservant burnt the unpublished manuscript for the first volume of 'The French Revolution' when lighting the fire in her master's bedroom. Mill's report that Carlyle looked 'as pale as Hector's ghost' on hearing what had happened seems euphemistic. Carlyle's portrait was painted by Whistler who was living just round the corner in Cheyne Walk. Whistler kept the sittings going with no regard to mealtimes which irritated Carlyle considerably.

Thomas had married Jane Carlyle, nee Baillie, in 1826. She is recorded as being diligent in her care for him and his home. She was also robust in her defence of the home and forthright in her opinion of some of their visitors. Thea Holme in her book 'Chelsea' writes of both these. On an occasion when the house was being redecorated, whilst Thomas was away, she had moved into lodgings but on there being a burglary she returned to sleep with two loaded pistols under her pillow. She also ensured that the workmen new of this arrangement. Thomas had called on Leigh Hunt in Upper Cheyne Row when first looking for a house in this neighbourhood and the Hunts were continually popping in and, to Jane's annoyance, borrowing whilst they remained neighbours. Jane wrote to her mother:
She torments my life with borrowing. She is every day reduced to borrow my tumblers, my teacups; even a cupful of porridge, a few spoonsful of tea, are begged of me because ''Missus has got company and happens to be out of the article''; in plain unadorned English, because ''missus'' is the most wretched of managers, and is often at the point of not having a copper in her purse.'

The house is now a National Trust property.

O/S Co-ords:2721.7770
Source(s):

The Blue Plaque Guide to London Homes

Chambers Biographical Dictionary

Chelsea