Over 100 poets of labouring class origin were published in Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries. Some were hugely popular and important in their day but few are available today. This is a collection of some of those poems from the 19th century.
CONTENTS OF VOLUME -- Acknowledgements -- General Editor’s Introduction -- Introduction -- Chronology -- Note on the Text -- ANN[E] CANDLER (1740–1814) -- From Poetical Attempts by Ann Candler (1803) -- From Memoirs of the Life of Ann Candler -- On the Birth of Twin Sons in 1781 -- Addressed to the Inhabitants of Yoxford, in 1787 -- To the Rev. Dr. J—n -- Reflections on My Own Situation -- On Perusing the History of Jacob -- ROBERT BLOOMFIELD (1766–1823) -- WILLIAM HOLLOWAY (1761–1854) -- From The Peasant’s Fate: A Rural Poem (1802) -- From Preface -- From The Peasant’s Fate -- ‘Former division of Downs … Modern changes’ -- ‘The ancient Pastor’ -- ‘Modern Rector and Curate’ -- ‘Village Smith’ -- ‘Poor-House’ -- ‘England compared with the most fruitful Countries’ -- From The Minor Minstrel (1808) -- To Robert Bloomfield, on the Abolition of the Slave Trade -- The Common; Or, The Soil of Liberty -- Sam Sear’s Three Tokens -- Roke Down -- Charity -- NATHANIEL BLOOMFIELD (1759–after 1822) -- From An Essay on War (1803) -- An Essay on War -- Elegy on the Enclosure of Honington Green -- More Bread and Cheese -- Lyric Address to Dr Jenner -- THOMAS BA(T)CHELOR (fl. 1804-1809) -- From Village Scenes, The Progress of Agriculture, and other Poems (1804) -- From The Progress of Agriculture; Or, The Rural Survey -- CHARLOTTE RICHARDSON (1775–?1825) -- From Poems Written on Different Occasions (1806) -- Written Under Great Doubt, and Anxiety of Mind -- He Sleeps -- From Poems, Chiefly Composed During the Pressure of Severe Illness -- After Reading Clarkson’s Narrative -- The Washerwoman’s Reply to E. Waring -- JAMES HOGG (1770–1835) -- GEORGE BLOOMFIELD (1757–1831) -- The Poets at Odds -- MARY BRYAN (fl. 1815–1829) -- From Sonnets and Metrical Tales (1815) -- To W. W—h, Esq. -- Anna -- The Dream -- On Reading Lines to Tranquility -- To — —; Sonnet -- To — — -- Mary -- The Spinning-Wheel -- Julia -- From Unpublished Manuscripts -- The Village Maid -- Stanzas -- JOHN MITFORD (1782
