William Somervile or Somerville (2 September 1675 – 19 July 1742) was an English poet.
Ancestry edit
The name Somervile is derived from a town near Caen in Normandy subsequently named Somervile.
The first of the Somerviles was Sir Gaulter de Somervile, who fought with William the Conqueror in England. He died at the end of the Eleventh Century and left three sons. William Somervile descended from the third son and was the last of the Somervile house in England. Their crest had inscribed on it, "The Woe Laird"
His family also includes other famous figures in Scottish history. One of his ancestors was named William de Somervile, who according to legend killed the last snake in Scotland. Also Philip of Whichnow, another ancestor, instituted the tradition of the Dunmow Flitch which is giving a gift of bacon to two people who have been married a year without having an argument.
His son Sir Thomas joined William Wallace to fight for the freedom of Scotland. James Somervile served with the French and Venetian service and when he returned home he held the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
Adult Life edit
Somervile was the eldest son of a country gentleman, and was born at Edstone, in the parish of Warren, Warwickshire in 1677. He was educated at Winchester College and at New College, Oxford, where he studied law. While in school he did not show any hint of great knowledge of literature or seem to have a knack for writing poetry. His love of poetry did not come until he was of middle age. He was a part of the Whig Party. After his father's death in 1705 he lived on his estate. He was known to be very hospitable and convivial. This however plunged him into debt, which carried a heavy burden and consequently put him into the habits that ultimately shortened his life. He was not someone one would expect to become a poet, he rather enjoyed sports including horseback riding and hunting.
While he lived on the estate left to him by his father in 1705. He devoted himself to field sports, which supplied the subjects of his best-known poems. His publications were The Two Springs (1725), a fable; Occasional Poems ... (1727); "The Chace" ("The Chase") (1735); Hobbinol, or the Rural Games (1740), a burlesque poem describing the Cotswold Games; and Field Sports (1742), a poem on hawking. While he wrote many types of poetry he never became very famous because of it. It is said that he "writes very well for a gentleman." "The Two Springs" was the favorite of his poems
"The Chace" ("The Chase") is perhaps his most famous poem which is in blank verse and due to his knowledge of sports he was able to write this poem with great enthusiasm. His Chase passed through many editions. It was illustrated by Thomas Bewick (1796), by Thomas Stothard (1800), and by Hugh Thomson (1896), with a preface by RF Sharp.
He died on July 19th, 1742 and was buried at Wotton, near Henley on Arden. He was 66. When he died his vast wealth and riches passed on to his mother who lived to be ninety.
When he died it was written-" Our old friend Somervile is dead! I did not imagine I could have been so sorry as I find myself on this occasion"
References edit
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
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External links edit
Category:1675 births
Category:1742 deaths
Category:People from Worcestershire
Category:Old Wykehamists
Category:Alumni of New College, Oxford
Category:English poets
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