Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cawthorn, James

1386036Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 09 — Cawthorn, James1887Jennett Humphreys

CAWTHORN, JAMES (1719–1761), poet, born 4 Nov. 1719, at Sheffield, was a son of Thomas Cawthorn, upholsterer (Gent. Mag. vol. lxi. pt. ii. p. 1081). The boy was first sent to the Sheffield grammar school, where he displayed some literary talent by trying to establish a periodical, ‘The Tea-Table.’ He was removed to the grammar school of Kirkby Lonsdale in 1735; he in 1736 became assistant-teacher at Rotherham school, and published the ‘Perjured Lovers,’ at Sheffield (ib.), and a ‘Meditation’ soon afterwards in the ‘Gentleman's Magazine,’ v. 549. On 8 July 1738 he matriculated at Clare Hall, Cambridge, but did not reside, and became assistant to a schoolmaster in Soho Square. About 1743 he married Mary, this schoolmaster's daughter; was ordained and was elected head-master of Tonbridge grammar school. In 1746 he published ‘Abelard and Heloise’ in the ‘Poetical Calendar;’ in 1748 he published a sermon, on the title-page of which he describes himself as M.A. He established a library in his school and wrote ‘Annual Visitation Poems,’ and other trifles. On 15 April 1761 he was thrown from his horse and killed.

Cawthorn was buried in Tonbridge church, where a marble slab with a Latin epitaph was put up for him, and verses were printed to his memory by Lord Eardley in the ‘Gentleman's Magazine,’ xxxi. 232. His poems were not collected till 1771, when they were published by subscription, 4to.

Cawthorn was included among ‘English Poets’ in Johnson's edition, though not till 1790 (vol. lxv.); in Park's ‘British Poets,’ 1808 (vol. iv.); in Platt's ‘Cabinet of Poetry,’ same year (vol. v.); in Sanford's ‘British Poets,’ 1819 (vol. xxiv.); in the Chiswick ed. 1822 (vol. lx.); in Chalmers's ed. (vol. xiv.); in Anderson's, and others; while his ‘Abelard and Heloise’ was also separately collected, with Pope's ‘Epistle,’ twice at least, viz. in 1805 and 1818.

[Gent. Mag. 1791, vol. lxi. pt. ii. pp. 1081–3 (where is a list of the scholars who recited the Visitation Poems), vol. lxii. pt. i. p. 68; Chalmers's English Poets, xiv. 229; Monthly Review, xlv. 1–5, 9, 336.]

J. H.