Henry Pye was born in London, the son of Henry Pye of Faringdon House in Berkshire, and his wife, Mary James. He was the nephew of Admiral Thomas Pye. He was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford. His father died in 1766, leaving him a legacy of debt amounting to £50,000, and the burning of the family home further increased his difficulties.
In 1784 he was elected Member of Parliament for Berkshire. He was obliged to sell the paternal estate, and, retiring from Parliament in 1790, became a police magistrate for Westminster. Although he had no command of language and was destitute of poetic feeling, his ambition was to obtain recognition as a poet, and he published many volumes of verse.
Of all he wrote his prose 'Summary of the Duties of a Justice of the Peace out of Sessions' (1808) is most worthy of record. He was made poet laureate in 1790, perhaps as a reward for his faithful support of William Pitt the Younger in the House of Commons. The appointment was looked on as ridiculous, and his birthday odes were a continual source of contempt. The 20th century British historian Lord Blake called Pye "the worst Poet Laureate in English history with the possible exception of Alfred Austin."
As a prose writer, Pye was more successful. He had a leaning to commentaries and summaries. His "Commentary on Shakespeare’s commentators", and that appended to his translation of the Poetics, contain some noteworthy matter. A man, who, born in 1745, could write “Sir Charles Grandison is a much more unnatural character than Caliban,” may have been a poetaster but was certainly not a fool.
He died in Pinner on 11 August 1813.
Pye married twice. He had two daughters by his first wife, Mary, daughter of Colonel William Hook. Henry and Mary had two daughters, Mary Elizabeth (d. 1834) and and Matilda Catherine, who (d.in 1851). He married secondly in 1801 Martha Corbett, by whom he had a son Henry John (1802–1884), and a daughter, Jane Anne, wife of Francis Willington of Tamworth in Staffordshire. Henry John Pye in 1833 inherited Clifton Hall, Staffordshire, from a distant cousin.
[Based on Wikipedia]
In 1784 he was elected Member of Parliament for Berkshire. He was obliged to sell the paternal estate, and, retiring from Parliament in 1790, became a police magistrate for Westminster. Although he had no command of language and was destitute of poetic feeling, his ambition was to obtain recognition as a poet, and he published many volumes of verse.
Of all he wrote his prose 'Summary of the Duties of a Justice of the Peace out of Sessions' (1808) is most worthy of record. He was made poet laureate in 1790, perhaps as a reward for his faithful support of William Pitt the Younger in the House of Commons. The appointment was looked on as ridiculous, and his birthday odes were a continual source of contempt. The 20th century British historian Lord Blake called Pye "the worst Poet Laureate in English history with the possible exception of Alfred Austin."
As a prose writer, Pye was more successful. He had a leaning to commentaries and summaries. His "Commentary on Shakespeare’s commentators", and that appended to his translation of the Poetics, contain some noteworthy matter. A man, who, born in 1745, could write “Sir Charles Grandison is a much more unnatural character than Caliban,” may have been a poetaster but was certainly not a fool.
He died in Pinner on 11 August 1813.
Pye married twice. He had two daughters by his first wife, Mary, daughter of Colonel William Hook. Henry and Mary had two daughters, Mary Elizabeth (d. 1834) and and Matilda Catherine, who (d.in 1851). He married secondly in 1801 Martha Corbett, by whom he had a son Henry John (1802–1884), and a daughter, Jane Anne, wife of Francis Willington of Tamworth in Staffordshire. Henry John Pye in 1833 inherited Clifton Hall, Staffordshire, from a distant cousin.
[Based on Wikipedia]
Henry Pye was born in London, the son of Henry Pye of Faringdon House in Berkshire, and his wife, Mary James. He was the nephew of Admiral Thomas Pye. He was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford. His father died in 1766, leaving him a legacy of debt amounting to £50,000, and the burning of the family home further increased his difficulties.
In 1784 he was elected Member of Parliament for Berkshire. He was obliged to sell the paternal estate, and, retiring from Parliament in 1790, became a police magistrate for Westminster. Although he had no command of language and was destitute of poetic feeling, his ambition was to obtain recognition as a poet, and he published many volumes of verse.
Of all he wrote his prose 'Summary of the Duties of a Justice of the Peace out of Sessions' (1808) is most worthy of record. He was made poet laureate in 1790, perhaps as a reward for his faithful support of William Pitt the Younger in the House of Commons. The appointment was looked on as ridiculous, and his birthday odes were a continual source of contempt. The 20th century British historian Lord Blake called Pye "the worst Poet Laureate in English history with the possible exception of Alfred Austin."
As a prose writer, Pye was more successful. He had a leaning to commentaries and summaries. His "Commentary on Shakespeare’s commentators", and that appended to his translation of the Poetics, contain some noteworthy matter. A man, who, born in 1745, could write “Sir Charles Grandison is a much more unnatural character than Caliban,” may have been a poetaster but was certainly not a fool.
He died in Pinner on 11 August 1813.
Pye married twice. He had two daughters by his first wife, Mary, daughter of Colonel William Hook. Henry and Mary had two daughters, Mary Elizabeth (d. 1834) and and Matilda Catherine, who (d.in 1851). He married secondly in 1801 Martha Corbett, by whom he had a son Henry John (1802–1884), and a daughter, Jane Anne, wife of Francis Willington of Tamworth in Staffordshire. Henry John Pye in 1833 inherited Clifton Hall, Staffordshire, from a distant cousin.
[Based on Wikipedia]
In 1784 he was elected Member of Parliament for Berkshire. He was obliged to sell the paternal estate, and, retiring from Parliament in 1790, became a police magistrate for Westminster. Although he had no command of language and was destitute of poetic feeling, his ambition was to obtain recognition as a poet, and he published many volumes of verse.
Of all he wrote his prose 'Summary of the Duties of a Justice of the Peace out of Sessions' (1808) is most worthy of record. He was made poet laureate in 1790, perhaps as a reward for his faithful support of William Pitt the Younger in the House of Commons. The appointment was looked on as ridiculous, and his birthday odes were a continual source of contempt. The 20th century British historian Lord Blake called Pye "the worst Poet Laureate in English history with the possible exception of Alfred Austin."
As a prose writer, Pye was more successful. He had a leaning to commentaries and summaries. His "Commentary on Shakespeare’s commentators", and that appended to his translation of the Poetics, contain some noteworthy matter. A man, who, born in 1745, could write “Sir Charles Grandison is a much more unnatural character than Caliban,” may have been a poetaster but was certainly not a fool.
He died in Pinner on 11 August 1813.
Pye married twice. He had two daughters by his first wife, Mary, daughter of Colonel William Hook. Henry and Mary had two daughters, Mary Elizabeth (d. 1834) and and Matilda Catherine, who (d.in 1851). He married secondly in 1801 Martha Corbett, by whom he had a son Henry John (1802–1884), and a daughter, Jane Anne, wife of Francis Willington of Tamworth in Staffordshire. Henry John Pye in 1833 inherited Clifton Hall, Staffordshire, from a distant cousin.
[Based on Wikipedia]
Inscription
Near this place lie the mortal remains of Henry James Pye Esquire / Formerly of Farringdon House in the County of Berks / and Knotting in the County of Beds. / He was born February 20th 1745, Elected Member / of Parliament for the county of Berks 1784. / Appointed Poet Laureate / to King George the Third 1790 / and died in his house in this parish / August 11th 1813. / and of Martha, his wife, / who having survived him 48 years / also died in this parish October 27th 1861, / Aged 91.
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