My birthplace.--My father and mother.--Circumstances of their marriage.--Their short married life.--Birth of their child.--Death of my mother.--Her character and habits.--My father as a widower.--Dulness of his life.--Its degradation.
My childhood is passed at Barnley with my aunts.--My grandfather and grandmother.--Estrangement between Gilbert Hamerton and his brother of Hellifield Peel.--Death of Gilbert Hamerton.--His taste for the French language.--His travels in Portugal, and the conduct of a steward during his absence.--His three sons.--Aristocratic tendencies of his daughters.--Beginning of my education.--Visits to my father.
A tour in Wales in 1842.--Extracts from my Journal of this tour.--My inborn love for beautiful materials.--Stay at Rhyl.--Anglesea and Caernarvon.--Reasons for specially remembering this tour.
A painful chapter to write.--My father calls me home.--What kind of a house it was.--Paternal education and discipline.--My life at that time one of dulness varied by dread.
My extreme loneliness.--Thoughts of flight.--My father's last illness and death.--Circumstances of my last interview with him.--His funeral.
Dislike to Shaw in consequence of the dreadful life I lead there with my father.--My guardian.--Her plan for my education.--Doncaster School.--Mr. Cape and his usher.--The usher's intolerance of Dissenters.--My feeling for architecture and music.--The drawing-master.--My guardian insists on my learning French.--Our French master, Sig. Testa.--A painful incident.--I begin to learn the violin.--Dancing.--My aversion to cricket.--Early readings.--Love of Scott.--My first library.--Classical studies.
Early attempts in English verse.--Advantages of life at Doncaster.--A school incident.--Fagging.--Story of a dog.--Robbery.--My school-fellow Henry Alexander.--His remarkable influence.--Other school-fellows. --Story of a boat.--A swimming adventure.--Our walks and battles.
Early interest in theology.--Reports of sermons.--Quiet influence of Mr. Cape.--Failure of Mr. Cape's health.--His death.
My education becomes less satisfactory.--My guardian's state of health.--I pursue my studies at Burnley.--Dr. Butler.--He encourages me to write English.--Extract from a prize poem.--Public discussions in Burnley School.--A debate on Queen Elizabeth.