• Name: Gent, Thomas
• Gender: Male
• Birth Date:
• Death Date: 7  November  1832

Gent normally appears in adv. meetings following exhibitions and theatre performances, although we have little specific information about him. In 1832, Godwin begins referring to an S Gent – Sophia Gent, who painted Godwin (Marshall p. 380) in watercolours in 1832. While there is no mention by Godwin of him 'sitting to' S Gent in the diary, the painting has been dated to 1832 by the owners of the Clairmont family collection. Godwin received a letter from Sophia Gent, expressing her happiness that Godwin and her husband had chanced to meet the previous evening, and hoping that Godwin would come to take Family fare at 4 o'clock Saturday next, and that he would come two hours earlier so that she could commence making his likeness. The entries in the diary suggest that Godwin met Gent by chance at the theatre on 24 January 1832; Sophia Gent writes to him the following morning; and Godwin calls on Gent (not mentioning Sophia) on 28 January.

Another lead is for a ‘City Conversazione, w. Gent, B Burlowe, Rothwel, Martin, Hart Davis 1832-02-16. From about the close of the 18th century the term conversazione chiefly applied to assemblies of an intellectual character, in connection with literature, art, or science. It was also used to describe a soirée given by a learned body or society of arts, at which the society's work is illustratedby the exhibition of specimens, experiments, and demonstrations. The London Institution in Moorfields Scientific and Literary conversazione commenced with great success (see also 'London Institution' under Museums (above).

Godwin notes Gent's death on 7 November 1832. This seems likely to be Thomas Gent esq, St Martin’s Lane, who is reported as having died on 6 November 1832 in The Times, 8 November 1832. His death is also recorded in the Morning Chronicle of 15 November and he is only given a line in both papers.

• Examiner, 26 February 1832;
• The Times, 8 November 1832
• Morning Chronicle, 15 November 1832
• Oxford English Dictionary 'conversazione'
• Marshall p. 380

This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.