Marconi in East Kent

Unimpressed by their daughter’s choice of suitor, Anna’s parents, on her return
to Ireland, engineered her introduction to Irish Society however Anna
continued to correspond with Giuseppe and on reaching the age of consent
they eloped and married on April 16th 1864 in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-
Calais, France; returning to live in Bologna they had two sons, Alfonso [b 1865]
and Guglielmo [b 25/4/1874]
Annie, Alfonso and Guglielmo visited England for a three year stay whilst the
boys were aged only 12 and 3 such that, on their return to Italy, each was
fluent in their Mother’s native tongue, much to their Father’s disapproval.
Returning to Italy the Marconi boys education was overseen by a local
schoolmaster at the family’s country estate, Villa Grifone, although it was
Annie who gave them lessons in English and, Anglican, Bible Studies.
Guglielmo eventually experienced formal education in Florence, something
that did not go well for many reasons, not least his perceived attitude, his
inability to mix socially with the other pupils and his strange ‘foreign’ accent.
Finally he won his Father’s support when he declared an ambition to join the
Academy of the Regia Marina, the Royal Italian Navy.
Unfortunately this tentative Father/Son relationship soon faltered when
Guglielmo failed the entrance exam for the Naval Academy.
The young Marconi’s appetite for education did however rekindle when he
enrolled at the Livorno Technical Institute to study Physics and Chemistry
under Professor Bizzarrini supplemented by home tutoring in the principles of
electricity by Professor Rosa, all paid for, of course, by Marconi Senior.
Although he failed the University of Bologna entrance exam, Anna was able to
further her youngest son’s education with the support of a near neighbour, a
lecturer at the University, Professor Righi who also agreed to allow Marconi
access to the University library as well as certain of the laboratories within his
remit.
It was at the University that Marconi began to explore the use of Prof Hertz’s
electromagnetic waves as a possible means of providing communication over
distance by use of a telegraphy that would not rely on the need for wires
stretched across the countryside joining telegraphic stations.