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DEVON POETS

Transcripts from

West-Country Poets: their lives and works: being an account of about four hundred verse writers
of Devon and Cornwall with poems and extracts

by W. H. Kearley Wright

Provided by Sandra Windeatt (archived copy)

Book Introduction

Book Index

Transcripts of some of the biographies

This book, published in 1896, includes about 400 writers in total.  It was indexed for GENUKI by Linda Cross and I ordered it from the library.  While I had it on loan, I managed to transcribe the biographies of nearly 50 or so of the Devonshire poets.   These are listed below together with other surnames that are cited in that biography. I do not have the book any longer (it has gone back to the library) so cannot do any lookups but am, of course, very eager for any errors or omissions to be corrected or pointed out.

I have taken the liberty of typing the surnames in capital letters. Many thanks to Linda Cross for typing the original index.  I would never have found the book if it weren't for her kindness in sharing this information.

The Selection: This was entirely personal.  I typed up eight biographies of people who were connected with an incident in 1812 in which I am interested (the destruction of Childe's tombe on Dartmoor).  Then I just typed up items about people that took my fancy - especially the poets of humble origins who may not be well documented elsewhere.  The book includes biographies of some interesting Cornish poets but I am afraid I ignored them.  I typed as many as I could in the time.  I tried to be as faithful as possible to the original punctuation, etc. but  I may have made a few mistakes.  I also deviated from the original in typing the surnames of people cited in capital letters

The Poetry:  I have no literary knowledge and found most of the poetry very hard-going.  As a result, I  gave up typing some of  the poems after one verse.    But I did transcribe in full the two poems in Devonshire dialect: LETTER TA ZOGG by Henry Baird and SATAN'S VISIT TO NORTH LEW AS TOLD BY MA GRANFER. by Elias Tozer.  For those of us not lucky enough to have been born and bred in Devon, the latter has been kindly translated by Ian James.

 

The People:

PoetDatesMain Place of AbodeMain OccupationOther people mentioned
AGGETT, Thomas Henry1863-Torquay - originally CornwallRailway PorterTAYLOR
ALFORD, Daniel Pring1838-Tavistock - originally SomersetClergymanALFORD (3), SMITH, TAIT, TANCOCK, POWELL, PRING, BROWNE 
BAIRD, Henry 
 ('Nathan Hogg')
1829-1881Exeter - originally StarcrossJournalistBRUSHFIELD, GLANVILLE,  KENNAWAY, BUCKINGHAM. LATIMER
BAMPFYLDE, John Codrington1754-1796PoltimoreNoneBAMPFIELD, SOUTHEY, JACKSON, PALMER,REYNOLDS
BARING-GOULD, Sabine1834-Lew TrenchardClergymanBARING-GOULD, BOND, GOULD
BRADFORD, John 
('Josias Homeley'), 
fl. 1843Newton Abbot - originally North DevonExcise OfficerBRADFORD, CREWS, BOWRING
BRAY, Edward Atkyns1778-1857TavistockClergymanBRAY, TREMAINE, BARING-GOULD, PARK, RITSON, EDWARDS,MATHIAS, SLEEMAN, ADAM, HUNT, BRAY (Mrs.),  SOUTHEY.
BRETT, Lyne1713-1741Plymouth  
BRICE, Andrew1690-1773ExeterPrinterBRICE, Andrew (father)
BRIDGES, Matthewfl.1825-48  BRIDGES, John (father?)
BURT, W.1778-1826PlymouthLawyerCARRINGTON, BURT, Seymour (nephew)
CAPERN, E.1819-1894Bideford - originally TivertonPostmanROCK, FROUDE, LANDOR, BURRITT
CARRINGTON, N.T.1777-1830Plymouth DockTeacherFOOT, FOX, CARRINGTON, HEMANS, BURT
CHEARE, Abrahamdied 1668PlymouthNon-conformist MinisterEDWARDS, LARK
COAKER, Jonas1801-1890Post BridgeLabourerRENDLE, MAN, BURNARD
COLLING, Mary M.1805-1853TavistockDomestic ServantCOLLING (3), HUGHES, BRAY, SOUTHEY, PATTEN, ALFORD, NICHOLLS, LEAMON, BOASE
CREES, William1854-Exeter - originally Exminster`Many and varied 
CROSSING, William1847-Brent - originally PlymouthWriterIZACKE, WESTCOTE,  RISDON, HOLMES, SEYMOUR, ROWE, MACPHERSON
CUMING, Mrs. S.fl. 1872TotnesWife of borough surveyor and architect  
CURZON, Frank1819-Leeds - originally ExeterArtist 
DART, H.fl. 1830  COCKREM
DOWN, Eliza.fl. 1878Torrington"elderly spinster in rather humble life"ROCK
EDGCUMBE, Sir Richard1528-1562Milton Abbot EDGCUMBE, DURNFORD, CAREW
FOOT, Edward Edwin1828-London - originally AshburtonAppointment in Her Majesty's Customs OfficeGIFFORD, FOOT, CAUNTER, SIMPSON
FOUNTAIN, Johnfl. 1550   
GIFFORD, William1756-1826AshburtonEditor of the Quarterly ReviewGIFFORD, CAREW, SMERDON, TAYLOR, COOKESLEY, COLERIDGE, LOCKHART
GOODWIN, John Plymouth - originally CambridgeshireStage Coach Guard 
GREGORY, John1831-Bristol - originally BidefordWeslyan PreacherGREGORY, CAPERN
HAMLYN, George1819-Plymouth - originally BickleighSmall FarmerWOOD
JOHNS, Johnfl. 1828Crediton - died LiverpoolUnitarian MinisterWORTH, CAMPBELL, BOASE, COURTNEY, CARRINGTON
JONES, Christopherfl. 1772-1782EXETER - probably originally CreditonWool-comberDAVIDSON
KEAST, George Vc.1850-Plymouth - originally DevonportNewspaper EditorJAGO
KENNICOTT, Benjamin1718-1783Oxford - originally TotnesClergymanKENNICOTT (2), HELE, COURTNEY, HICKS, CHAMPERNOWNE, FOWNES LUTTRELL, WINDEATT
KING, Richard John1818-1879Crediton - originally PlymouthWriterKING, MURRAY, SMITH
KITTO, John1804-1854PlymouthWriterROBERTS, BURNARD, KNIGHT, OLIPHANT, EADIE, KITTO
KNIGHT, Thomas H.1863-Yorkshire - originally LostwithielCustoms Officer 
LATEY, John Lashfl. 1839Barnstaple - originally PrinterLATEY, SMITH
LOCK, Johnfl. 1860South MoltonWool-comber 
LYDE, George1601-1673Widdecombe - originally TotnesClergymanPRINCE
MANLEY, Richardd. 1834South MoltonJourneyman SaddlerMANLEY
MANN, Williamfl. 1846Ashburton GIFFORD
McCARTNEY, Thomas Josephdied 1894PlymouthVictualler 
PHILLPOTTS, Eden1862-PlymouthWriterPHILLPOTTS (2), HOLMES, POLLARD, HENRY, BISHOP OF EXETER, JEROME, GROVES.
PROWSE, William Jefferey1836-1870Torquay KEATS, JEFFEREY, PROWSE
TOZER, Elias1825-1873ExeterNewspaper Reporter 
WILLS, Samuel1837-Various - originally DodbrookeTeacher 
WINDEATT, Mary1811-1873Totnes - originally Deptford KNOWLES (2), FUSELI, WINDEATT
WINDEATT, Thomas White1769-1827Totnes Non-Conformist MinisterWINDEATT (2)
WOLCOT, John 
('Peter Pindar')
1738-1819Various - originally DodbrookeDoctor, PriestTRELAWNEY, TERRICK, OPIE, GIFFORD, BANKS
WORTH, R. N.fl. 1875   
WORTHY, Charles1840-Ashburton entry not completed - sorry
WRIGHT, William Henry Kearley 
(editor of the book)
1844-PlymouthLibrarianWRIGHT, JAGO, DRAKE, BRIDGES, RATTENBURY, SHEBBEARE