Timeline

Relevant Letters by Hardy

To his publishers Smith, Elder & Co re the inclusion of a map as a frontispiece of the first edition of The Return of the Native (1878)

To Edward Marston suggesting the words "Wessex novels" to be used when advertising his novels (1888)

To John Lane referring to the correspondent's proposal to publish a map of Wessex (1892)

To William H. Rideing declining correspondent's request to publish a map of Wessex (1893)

To Bertram Windle indentifying real places for Wessex settings (1896)

Variant readings: examples of Hardy's revisions

Maps of Wessex

Selected Contemporary Reviews

Anonymous. "Thomas Hardy's Wessex". The Bookman (October, 1891): 26-28.