Sir Charles William Doyle (1770–1842): Irish Army officer, from a military family based in Kilkenny. He joined the 14th Foot as an ensign in 1783 and from 1793 onwards served with distinction in the Netherlands, the West Indies and Egypt. In 1808–1811 Doyle helped to arm and train Spanish troops in the Peninsular War. His work was judged a great success, especially in forming a group of light infantry known as ‘Doyle’s Triadores’ and he was made a Lieutenant-General in the Spanish Army.

Howard Douglas 3rd Baronet (1776–1861): Artillery officer and writer on all aspects of gunnery. He served in Spain 1808–1809 and 1812 and provided Southey with information for his History of the Peninsular War (1823–1832). In return, Southey tried to arrange for Douglas’s Observations on the Motives, Errors and Tendency of M. Carnot’s System of Defence (1819) to be reviewed in the Quarterly Review. Douglas was later a General and Governor of New Brunswick 1823–1831, and High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands 1835–1840.

Francis Douce (1757–1834): English antiquarian and Keeper of Manuscripts at the British Museum 1799–1811. Southey reviewed Douce’s Illustrations of Shakespeare and Ancient Manners (1807) and sent him some suggestions for further notes on obscure phrases in Shakespeare’s plays.

Elizabeth Dolignon (d. 1802): The widowed Mrs Dolignon and her sisters, the Misses Delamere, were friends of Southey’s aunt Elizabeth Tyler. Southey spent time at the Delamere home (Theobalds) in Hertfordshire, and Elizabeth Dolignon seems to have acted as his guardian during his time at Westminster School. William Vincent wrote to her (and not to Southey’s parents) regarding his involvement in The Flagellant. Southey, in turn, went from Westminster to the Delameres’ house after his suspension from school.

James William Dodd (?1759/60–1818): An Usher at Westminster School from 1784.

Isaac D’Israeli (1766–1848): Son of Benjamin Disraeli (1730–1816), a wealthy Italian-Jewish merchant. Isaac devoted his life to his library and miscellaneous literary works, most famously his Curiosities of Literature (1791). He corresponded with Southey on literary subjects on an intermittent basis, and dedicated the fourth edition of his The Literary Character; or the History of Men of Genius (1828) to him. Southey praised his good nature, but thought him a mixture of knowledge and ignorance.

Thomas Frognall Dibdin (1776–1847): Clergyman and bibliographer. He and Southey met at a dinner given by Longman, the publisher. Dibdin sent the Poet Laureate a copy of his expensive and lavishly illustrated Bibliographical, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in France and Germany (1821). This courtesy initiated a spasmodic correspondence between the two men on literary matters.

Thomas De Quincey (1785-1859): Writer, essayist and literary critic, best known for his Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1821). De Quincey was the son of a successful merchant and was born in Manchester. A brilliant scholar as a child, his schooling was erratic, and though he entered Worcester College, Oxford in 1803, he did not take his degree. A passionate admirer of Wordsworth and Coleridge, he lived at Wordsworth’s former home, Dove Cottage, Grasmere, from 1809–1819, when he came to know Southey. De Quincey married Margaret Simpson (d.

Mr and Mrs Deacon: Friends of Grosvenor Charles Bedford and his family.

Kate Deacon (dates unknown): A friend of Grosvenor Charles Bedford and his family. Daughter of Mr and Mrs Deacon.