Tennysons

Tennysons refers to members of the Tennyson family, a British lineage best known for the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and for the hereditary title Baron Tennyson.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) was an English poet who served as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1850 until his death. Born in Somersby, Lincolnshire, he studied at Cambridge and published several early volumes before attaining prominence. His mature works include In Memoriam A.H.H. (1850), The Princess (1847), and Idylls of the King (completed 1885). His poetry helped define Victorian literary tastes, and his reputation was cemented by pieces such as Ulysses and The Charge of the Light Brigade, the latter commemorating a famous military event.

The Tennyson family was granted the hereditary title Baron Tennyson in the late 19th century; Alfred was created the first Baron Tennyson, of Freshwater in the Isle of Wight, in 1884, and the title was inherited by his heirs.

Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson (1852–1928), was Alfred’s son and a notable public figure who continued the family’s involvement in public life and literature. Lionel Tennyson (1889–1951) is listed among bearers of the name as a British cricketer and member of the Tennyson lineage.

Today, the surname Tennyson is most closely associated with Alfred’s literary legacy, but it remains a hereditary family name in the United Kingdom, carried by the heirs to the barony and by other descendants in various professions.