Byron and Lady Byron Separate
Poet involved
What happened
In January 1816, Lady Byron left Byron and returned to her parents' home, and in March 1816 a formal legal separation was arranged, precipitated by rumors of Byron's incestuous relationship with his half-sister Augusta Leigh and his mounting debts.
Literary impact
The separation scandal—fueled by accusations of incest, cruelty, and moral depravity—destroyed Byron's reputation in England and forced him into continental exile, yet it also liberated him from the constraints of English society and allowed him to produce his most mature and innovative works; the emotional devastation of this period finds expression in the introspective and confessional strains of the third canto of Childe Harold and the anguished soliloquies of Manfred.
Source: Wikipedia
