The younger son ofJohn Soane, he was born in London. He graduated B.A. fromPembroke College, Cambridge, in 1811.[1][2] Shortly afterwards he married Agnes Boaden, against his parents' wishes. His writing career was not enough to earn a living. Soane fell into debt, and was imprisoned. In 1814 he was editing theTheatrical Inquisitor, but also served time for fraud.[3][4] He gave evidence on theKing's Bench Prison, from his experience of it, to a committee of enquiry in 1815.[5]
InThe Champion during September 1815 Soane attacked his father's reputation as an architect, in two anonymous articles. His mother died shortly afterwards. These pieces led to a family rupture, and indirectly to the foundation ofSir John Soane's Museum.[3] Soane attempted to block the private Act of Parliament of 1833 that set up the museum's endowment. The matter was debated in the House of Commons for an hour, withWilliam Cobbett putting Soane's side of the argument, that he would be deprived of a rightful inheritance.Joseph Hume spoke in favour of the act, which was passed.[6]
"If you call out you are a dead man!": illustration from the published version of George Soane'sThe Inn-Keeper's Daughter. It was Soane's first melodrama, based on the poem "Mary, the Maid of the Inn", byRobert Southey.[7]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1898). "Soane, John".Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 53. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
