Why did George Meredith and Mary Ellen Nicolls struggle financially after their marriage?

George Meredith and Mary Ellen Nicolls struggled financially after their marriage primarily because Meredith’s early professional pursuits failed to generate a reliable income. After they married, the couple lived in Surrey, where Meredith focused on writing poetry and articles, as well as performing translations; however, these efforts brought in very little money.1

Although Meredith managed to fund the publication of a collection of verse in 1851, the critical praise it received did not translate into financial success. As they became increasingly beset by creditors, the couple was forced to take refuge in the home of Mary Ellen’s father, Thomas Love Peacock. Meredith subsequently attempted to earn a living through prose, but his work often failed to find a broad audience, and the lack of steady income, combined with personal tensions, placed an unbearable strain on their marriage.1