Carlyle had a number of would-be romances before he married Jane Welsh, important as a literary figure in her own right.
The most notable were with Margaret Gordon, a pupil of his friend Edward Irving.
Even after he met Jane, he became enamoured of Kitty Kirkpatrick, the daughter of a British officer and a Mughal princess.
William Dalrymple, author of White Mughals, suggests that feelings were mutual, but social circumstances made the marriage impossible, as Carlyle was then poor.
Both Margaret and Kitty have been suggested as the original of "Blumine", Teufelsdröckh's beloved, in Sartor Resartus.

Thomas also had a friendship with the writer Geraldine Jewsbury starting in 1840.
During that year Jewsbury was going through a depressive state and also experiencing religious doubt.
She wrote to Carlyle for guidance and also thanked him for his well-written essays.
Eventually, Carlyle invited Jewsbury out to Cheyne Row, where Carlyle and Jane resided.
Jewsbury and Jane from then on had a close friendship and Carlyle also helped Jewsbury get on to the English literary scene.
Carlyle had a number of would-be romances before he married Jane Welsh, important as a literary figure in her own right. The most notable were with Margaret Gordon, a pupil of his friend Edward Irving. Even after he met Jane, he became enamoured of Kitty Kirkpatrick, the daughter of a British officer and a Mughal princess. William Dalrymple, author of White Mughals, suggests that feelings were mutual, but social circumstances made the marriage impossible, as Carlyle was then poor. Both Margaret and Kitty have been suggested as the original of "Blumine", Teufelsdröckh's beloved, in Sartor Resartus.
Thomas also had a friendship with the writer Geraldine Jewsbury starting in 1840. During that year Jewsbury was going through a depressive state and also experiencing religious doubt. She wrote to Carlyle for guidance and also thanked him for his well-written essays. Eventually, Carlyle invited Jewsbury out to Cheyne Row, where Carlyle and Jane resided. Jewsbury and Jane from then on had a close friendship and Carlyle also helped Jewsbury get on to the English literary scene.
Thomas Carlyle