Giovanni Battista Falcieri (known as “Tita”) (1798–1874) was the personal servant of

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...

and was present at his death in

Missolonghi Missolonghi or Messolonghi ( el, Μεσολόγγι, ) is a municipality of 34,416 people (according to the 2011 census) in western Greece. The town is the capital of Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, and the seat of the municipality of Iera Polis ...

in 1824. He later accompanied

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation o ...

on his tour of the Orient, before becoming the valet of

Isaac D'Israeli Isaac D'Israeli (11 May 1766 – 19 January 1848) was a British writer, scholar and the father of British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. He is best known for his essays and his associations with other men of letters. Life and career Isaac wa ...

Employment by Lord Byron

Tita was a

gondolier The gondola (, ; vec, góndoła ) is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. It is typically propelled by a gondolier, who uses a rowing oar, which is not fastened to the hull ...

and it was in that capacity that he first entered Lord Byron's service in 1818 during Byron's sojourn in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

. He later became Byron's personal attendant and appears frequently in the correspondence of Byron's friends and acquaintances.

Death of Lord Byron

According to Count Gamba's account of Byron's death:

At four o’clock, after this consultation of his physicians, he seemed to be aware of his approaching end. I think this was the exact time, and not before. Dr. Millingen, Fletcher, and Tita were round his bed. The two first could not contain their tears, and walked out of the room. Tita also wept, but he could not retire, as Byron had hold of his hand; but he turned away his face. Byron looked at him steadily, and said, half smiling, in Italian—Oh questa è una bella scena.

Falcieri accompanied Lord Byron's body to England.William F.B.Laurie, ''Sketches of some distinguished Anglo-Indians; with an account of Anglo-Indian periodical literature'' (London, 1875), at pp. 257 to 265

Subsequent career

Following Byron's funeral Tita remained in England and served as valet to Byron's friend

John Cam Hobhouse John Cam Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton, (27 June 1786 – 3 June 1869), known as Sir John Hobhouse, Bt, from 1831 to 1851, was an English politician and diarist. Early life Born at Redland near Bristol, Broughton was the eldest son of Sir ...

, before returning to Greece to fight in the Greek War of Independence in 1825. In 1828 he returned to England and served as valet to James Clay on his Grand Tour 1829/30. Falcieri subsequently joined Benjamin Disraeli on his tour of the Orient in 1830/31 and was then employed as valet to Isaac D’Israeli at

Bradenham Manor Bradenham may refer the following places in England: * Bradenham, Buckinghamshire * Bradenham, Norfolk Bradenham is a village and civil parish, a conglomeration of East and West Bradenham, in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated some ...

in Buckinghamshire between 1832 and 1848. On Isaac D’Israeli's death, Hobhouse arranged for him to be employed as a Government messenger.Douglas Hurd and Edward Young, ''Disraeli, or The Two Lives'' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2013) He numbered among his acquaintance the Count D’Orsay, who presented him with a valuable emerald ring in gratitude for his assistance in relation to a posthumous portrait of Byron.

Posterity

After Falcieri's death, Disraeli recommended Tita's widow to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

for a pension from the

Civil list A civil list is a list of individuals to whom money is paid by the government, typically for service to the state or as honorary pensions. It is a term especially associated with the United Kingdom and its former colonies of Canada, India, New Zeal ...

, though she did not enjoy it for long, dying in 1877. A portrait of Falcieri by

Daniel Maclise Daniel Maclise (25 January 180625 April 1870) was an Irish history painter, literary and portrait painter, and illustrator, who worked for most of his life in London, England. Early life Maclise was born in Cork, Ireland, the son of Alexan ...

forms part of the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

’s collection at

Hughenden Manor Hughenden Manor, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, England, is a Victorian mansion, with earlier origins, that served as the country house of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield. It is now owned by the National Trust and o ...

References

See also Claudia Oliver,

' (Claudia Oliver, 2018). {{DEFAULTSORT:Falcieri, Giovanni Battista ('Tita') Servants 1798 births 1874 deaths Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery Italian expatriates in the United Kingdom Lord Byron Italian domestic workers Gondoliers