Thomas Love Peacock

Peacock is often remembered primarily for his close friendship with Percy Shelley — at times, being an almost daily visitor — though they exerted little if any overt literary influence on one another. Peacock and James Mill were appointed at the same time to posts with the East India Company, Peacock being supervised by Mill before succeeding him in his position, a useful one for a writer (Mill’s son J. S. Mill in turn succeeded Peacock); the views of both Mills influenced his thought. Leigh Hunt effectively ‘inherited’ him as a friend from Shelley. Meredith married his daughter, and was influenced and helped by him.