Ebenezer Elliot,Robert Southey, Lord Byron.

I have encountered two accounts recently of an incident in Rotherham between the Sheffield poet Ebenezer Elliott and Lord Byron outside a bank in Rotherham.

The most complete is from the book by David Price "Sheffield Troublemakers, Rebels and Radicals in Sheffield History" which says "Elliott was developing as a poet, encouraged by the Poet Laureate Robert Southey (who deplored his politics) but, when he approached Lord Byron outside a Rotherham bank in 1813, he was treated discourteously".

The other account goes into more detail, implying that all three got into some mild scuffling.

Before I dive headlong into physical research I wondered if anyone had any more details or had encountered the story elsewhere.

I find the idea the Elliot, the Poet Laureate and Lord Byron were having a bit of a ruck in the middle of Rotherham mildly amusing.