Hennell, Sara Sophia (1812-1899)

Sara Hennell was one of George Eliot's closest friends, along with her younger sister, Caroline 'Cara' Bray. Sara stayed regularly with her sister at Rosehill, where she eventually met George Eliot. Both women were intellectuals and the two quickly became close friends, though Sara tended to focus more on theology, which Eliot had left behind. Hennell aided Eliot in her earlier translation of Das Leben Jesu (The Life of Jesus). While Hennell disapproved of Eliot's choice in being with George Henry Lewes, Sara still wrote letters proclaiming her love. She did have issues with Lewes himself, who intervened in Eliot and Hennell's correspondence and even sometimes claimed to have lost letters. Despite difficulties, Hennell and Eliot remained longtime friends; even after the rift caused by Eliot's romantic relationship, the two still traded many letters throughout the years.

George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, https://georgeeliotarchive.org

I, x, xlvi, account of, Jvi-lviii; 120, 156, sees Strauss, I 76; 180, governess for Bonham Carters, 181, II, 39, IV, 439, VII, 62; I, 182,192, 203, 219, atRosehill, 223; meets Eliza Lynn, 225; 227, 241, meets Emerson, 256; 264, at Rosehill while Brays are abroad, 285; 303, 313, 318, idolizes brother, 320; 323, 330, 334-5, wins Baillie Prizes, I, 343, II, 259, 282, III, 329, 372; at 142 Strand, I, 345, II, 12; 14, moves to Ivy Cottage, Coventry, 62; teaches Frank and Nelly, 221; Women's Rights, 227, IV, 390; II, 229, 261, sends GE her portrait, 276; Brays move into Ivy Cottage with, 302, 314; on Isaac: Taylor, 305; takes Nelly Bray toWales, 376; proposed paper for WR rejected, 482, 489; verses on Bu4Ie,. 485-6; 5ll, at Ravensbourne, III, 36:';· moves to Barr's Hill Terrace, 444 -,5;' 456, 467, IV, 9, investment in ChaP,: man's business, IO-I; 82, 87, photo un:like her, 90; 106, ll2, at Lea Hu t 118;120,149,155,recommends Hay;;·rogate, 162; 163-5, 312, 363, income. duced, 374; V, 54, visits John Si 56; getsout 3d ed. of Hennell's J,i,l, quiry, 95; 97, Ill, 114Autographs II, 25, 94, GE sends Sara letters Arnott,213;E.Blackwell,III•,7t1C. Bronte, II, 263; Comte, 496; .... 25S, 280; Henschel, IV, 138; Autographs (continued)Houghton, II, 38,259; Jerrold 23;Knight, 38; GHL, 33; Liebig, 472, 476; Liszt, 195: Lytton, 203; Mazzini, 90; Mill, 38; Montalembert, IV, 3, 88;T. Parker, II, 38; Spencer, 223; Thierry 496; De Tocqueville, 496; Varnhagen, 203, 280GE and SaraSara sees root of Positivism in ear-liest letters, I, 32; 41, GE's 1st letter to, 144; gives GE paintings, 146, 148, 275, 281, VII, 72; sends GE 'confes-sional,' I, 150-1; friendship with GE, 186, 193, 195, 279, 331, II, 182, IV, 201-2; helps with Strauss tr., I, 171-219; GE visits when Strauss is pub., 219; best plainspoken friend, 225; Saraproposes as Biicherman, 226; 228, 230, 232-3, visits GE at Foleshill, 235; opinion of GE, 235; 244, 259, 270, 274, disagrees with on George Sand, 277 -80; 282, 298, cautions GE, 313; 324, 332, 372, 375-6, visits GE, II, IO; feels GE alienated, 19; 22, 31, 44, 46, onWR, 50; 55, 71, gives GE her German journal, 79, 441, 449; 84, 91, 95, 98, 102, ll6, 129, reads MS and proofs of Feuerbach tr., 138-61; 143, GE returns her Hebrew grammar and Apocrypha, 164; hurt by GE's union with GHL, 181: not the Marian she knew,186; GE asked to have Sara correct proofs, 187; 188, 195, 204-5, 217, 255-7, 261, GE reproaches herself for failure to help, 277-8; 279, visits GE and GHL; 370; 400, thinks GE is writing a novel, 443; offers to explainGE's union to Chrissey, III, 26;on Liggins, 44, 201-2; wants lodgings near GE, 70; 87, GE reveals incognito to, 90-8; GE's out-burst, 99; photo of GE, 171: 247, 315-7, 337, 354, 358, 361, visits GE, 372GE's letters to Sara returned, 376; 381, 429, sensitiveness, 433;437-9, 441-2, 452, 468-70, IV, 21-2, 25, 28, 48, 51, 57, conversations darken understand -ing, 66-7; 70, encouraging word, 74;77, 91-2, on Romola, 103-4; 109-10,123-4, 128-9, 135-6,GEon Sara's writ-ing, 145-9; 153, friendship for Sara,201-2; cannot get outside her theoreti-cal world, 208; 209, 232-3, 235, 296, GEinvites for night, V, 9-10; 13-4, GE's ir-ritation with, 47; 102, 131-2, GE sends Middlemarch to,214-5, 335; has 'sore brain,' 419; GE sends Sayings to, VI, 45; 370-2, on GE's marriage, VII, 280; 341terms of endearment: Lieber Gemahl,I, 161; Beloved Spouse, 223; Beloved Achates, 205-16; Liebe Weib, 239; CaraSposa, 240; Gemahlinn, 320 Birthday lettersI, 152, 186, 272, 376, II, 69, 127, 186, 276, 404, 496, III, 199, IV, 66, 168, 314, 400, 488, V, 68-9, 121-3, 217-8, 327-8,329-30, VI, 92-4, 191-2, 310, 419-21,426-7, VII, 81, 224, 343-4 GHL and Sara II, 13, GE sends her his autograph, 33; 220, praises his Biog. Hist. of Phil., 389; III, 48, 130, GHL criticizes Thoughts, 318-20; 358, suppresses Sara's letter on Romola, IV, 58-9; Sara proposes art. for Fortnightly, -212; on Problems, V, 473OthersHarriet Rennell: Sara takes her to asylum, I, 248; II, 401, 465, III, 238;Nelly Bray: IV, 158-9; Spencer: reviews his Psychology, II, 219; he visits Coven-try, 256, 290, III, 154, 170, IV, 9, 66; 410, his anti-feminism, VI, 15-6, 40-1,426WritingsAntichrist (1851), I, 343, II, 405, III, 329On the Sceptical Tendency of But-ler's 'Analogy' (1859), II, 187, 377 Anticipation of an Approaching End of the World (1860), III, 372 Heliados, I, 229•Christianity and Infidelity, wins Baillie Prize (1854), II, 259; 263, sends GE passages for criticism, 265; 267-8,270-

rev. in Leader, 289; sends copies, 301; GE on, 304•; GHL's rev. (Leader) blames Baillie, 304;rev. A.thenaeum, 318; 339 Thoughts in A.id of Faith (1860), I, lviii, Ill, 15, GE reads proof, 48; title, 52-3, 181; reference to C. C. Hennen n, 100, 130, 141, 144; 136, 180, sends to GE and GHL, 310; GE on, 315-17,336-8•; GHLon, 318-21; Call rev. (WR), 320; GE rereads, 358-9•; V, 472 Present Religion, Vol. I (1865), IV, 147, 193; title, 203-4; 209•, Vol. II, sec. 2, pub., V, 67-9; sec. 3, 214-5; sec. 4, 327; Vol. II, bound, VI, 16; Vol. III,sec. I, VII, 72, index, 224 Memoir of Charles Christian Hen -nell, II, 93 Coventry Herald: rev. Esmond, II, 80; Hunt, Religion of the Heart, 125; Feuerbach tr., 164; WR, 21