William Wordsworth was born in 1770 in Cockermouth, Cumbria, the scenic mountainous region of northwest England known as the Lake District. He was the second of five children, sent away to Hawkshead Grammar School after his mother died when he was 8. Five years later, his father died, and the children were sent to live with various relatives. The separation from his orphaned siblings was a severe emotional trial, and after reuniting as adults, William and his sister Dorothy lived together for the rest of their lives. In 1787, William began his studies at St. John’s College, Cambridge, with the help of his uncles.