Unveiling of Blue Plaque dedicated to Charlotte Cradock

Latest – 26th January:   Nice double-spread of photographs from the event in today’s Wiltshire Living – the glossy magazine that comes with the Salisbury Journal – see pages 56-57

The Society unveiled its latest Salisbury Civic Society Blue Plaque on Friday 6th January 2017 at House Number 14 in Salisbury Cathedral Close. The plaque is dedicated to Charlotte Cradock wife of the novelist Henry Fielding.
The plaque reads:

Charlotte Cradock

Wife of Henry Fielding
and inspiration for Sophia Western
in his novel Tom Jones
lived here until her marriage
in 1734.

The 18th century playwright and novelist, Henry Fielding, who often came to Salisbury to visit his grandmother, was introduced to the widowed Mrs Cradock and her two daughters. He fell head over heels for Charlotte. They married in 1734 and moved to Fielding’s family home in East Stour, near Shaftesbury. But soon they were on the move again, this time to London where Fielding managed the Haymarket Theatre, wrote, and practised law. One of Henry and Charlotte’s daughters, predeceased her mother. Charlotte died in 1744, some say of a fever, in the arms of a distraught Henry. Although Henry married again, Charlotte was the love of his life and is immortalised as Sophia Western in his most famous novel, Tom Jones.

Guests and members of the Society attending the unveiling

There were short speeches at the unveiling from Peter Dunbar chairman of SCS and Prof Donald Thomasbiographer of Henry Fielding, and warm hospitality provided by the Champions, new owners of the house. The event was attended by local press including the Salisbury Journal, the Valley News, and Wiltshire Living (formerly Wiltshire Society).