In 1870, while on an architectural mission to restore the parish church of St Juliot in Cornwall, Hardy met and fell in love with Emma Gifford, whom he married in Kensington in late 1874.
renting St David's Villa, Southborough (now Surbiton) for a year.
 In 1885 Thomas and his wife moved into Max Gate, a house designed by Hardy and built by his brother.
Although they later became estranged, Emma's subsequent death in 1912 had a traumatic effect on him and after her death, Hardy made a trip to Cornwall to revisit places linked with their courtship; his Poems 1912–13 reflect upon her death.
In 1914, Hardy married his secretary Florence Emily Dugdale, who was 39 years his junior.
He remained preoccupied with his first wife's death and tried to overcome his remorse by writing poetry.
In his later years, he kept a Wire Fox Terrier named Wessex, who was notoriously ill-tempered.
Wessex's grave stone can be found on the Max Gate grounds.
In 1910, Hardy had been appointed a Member of the Order of Merit and was also for the first time nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
He was nominated again for the prize 11 years later.
In 1870, while on an architectural mission to restore the parish church of St Juliot in Cornwall, Hardy met and fell in love with Emma Gifford, whom he married in Kensington in late 1874. renting St David's Villa, Southborough (now Surbiton) for a year.  In 1885 Thomas and his wife moved into Max Gate, a house designed by Hardy and built by his brother. Although they later became estranged, Emma's subsequent death in 1912 had a traumatic effect on him and after her death, Hardy made a trip to Cornwall to revisit places linked with their courtship; his Poems 1912–13 reflect upon her death. In 1914, Hardy married his secretary Florence Emily Dugdale, who was 39 years his junior. He remained preoccupied with his first wife's death and tried to overcome his remorse by writing poetry. In his later years, he kept a Wire Fox Terrier named Wessex, who was notoriously ill-tempered. Wessex's grave stone can be found on the Max Gate grounds. In 1910, Hardy had been appointed a Member of the Order of Merit and was also for the first time nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. He was nominated again for the prize 11 years later.
Thomas Hardy