George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron of Rochdale (1788-1824), the English poet was born in London. In 1809 he set out on his grand tour visiting Spain, Malta, Albania, Greece and the Aegean returning after two years. He gave to Europe the idea of the 'Byronic hero'. In 1815 he married the heiress, Anne Isabella Milbanke, who left him in 1816 after the birth of his daughter Ada. Again he left for the continent this time travelling through Belgium, then along the Rhine to Switzerland where he met Shelley and on to Venice and Rome. He was actively involved in the Greeks rising against the Turks and he died of marsh fever at Missolonghi.