George Richards (1767 – 30 March 1837) was an English Anglican priest and poet.

Life

The son of James Richards, later vicar of Rainham,

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, George Richards was baptised on 15 September 1767. He was admitted at Christ's Hospital, London, in June 1776, and was then described as from Hadleigh in Suffolk.

Charles Lamb Charles Lamb (10 February 1775 – 27 December 1834) was an English essayist, poet, and antiquarian, best known for his '' Essays of Elia'' and for the children's book '' Tales from Shakespeare'', co-authored with his sister, Mary Lamb (1764� ...

knew him at school, and calls him ‘a pale, studious Grecian.’ On 10 March 1775 he matriculated at

Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...

, becoming a scholar of his college in 1786. He gained two chancellor's prizes: in 1787 for Latin verse, and in 1789 for an English essay ‘On the characteristic Differences between Ancient and Modern Poetry’. In 1791

George Harcourt, 2nd Earl Harcourt George Simon Harcourt, 2nd Earl Harcourt (1 August 1736 – 20 April 1809), styled Viscount Nuneham until inheriting the title of Earl Harcourt in 1777, was an English politician, patron of the arts, and gardener. Early life Harcourt was the e ...

gave anonymously a prize for an English poem on the ‘Aboriginal Britons.’ This Richards won, and the donor of the prize became his lifelong friend. The poem was printed separately and in sets of ‘Oxford Prize Poems.’ It was praised by

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

(''English Bards and Scotch Reviewers''). Richards graduated

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

(BA) on 4 November 1788, Oxford Master of Arts (MA Oxon) on 11 July 1791, and Bachelor of Divinity (BD) and Doctor of Divinity (DD) in 1820. In 1790, when he took holy orders, he was elected to a fellowship at

Oriel College Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, w ...

, and remained there until 1796. He was appointed

Bampton lecturer The Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford, England, were founded by a bequest of John Bampton. They have taken place since 1780. They were a series of annual lectures; since the turn of the 20th century they have typically been biennial ...

in 1800, and select preacher in 1804 and 1811. From 1796, when he married, to 1824 he was one of the vicars of Bampton, and rector of Lillingstone Lovel in Oxfordshire. In July 1824 he was appointed to the more valuable vicarage of

St Martin-in-the-Fields St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church on the site since at least the mediev ...

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...

. There he built a new vicarage, contributed towards the erection of the church of St Michael in Burleigh Street, Strand, and served for some years as treasurer of

Charing Cross Hospital Charing Cross Hospital is an acute general teaching hospital located in Hammersmith, London, United Kingdom. The present hospital was opened in 1973, although it was originally established in 1818, approximately five miles east, in central L ...

. In 1822 he became a governor of Christ's Hospital. In 1799 he was elected

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

. He died at

Russell Square Russell Square is a large garden square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden, built predominantly by the firm of James Burton. It is near the University of London's main buildings and the British Museum. Almost exactly square, to the ...

, London, on 30 March 1837, and was buried in a special vault in the churchyard of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields on 6 April. He married, on 6 October 1796.

Works

Richards published, besides the works above: * ‘Songs of the Aboriginal Bards of Britain,’ 1792. * ‘Modern France: a Poem,’ 1793. * ‘Matilda, or the Dying Penitent,’ a poetical epistle, 1795. * ‘The Divine Origin of Prophecy illustrated and defended’ (Bampton Lectures), 1800. * ‘Odin,’ a drama, 1804. * ‘Emma,’ a drama on the model of the Greek theatre, 1804. * ‘Poems,’ 1804, 2 vols.; the first volume was dedicated to Harcourt, the second to his fellow priest William Benwell; most of the poems which he had previously published were reprinted in this collection. * ‘Monody on Death of Lord Nelson,’ 1806.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, George 1767 births 1837 deaths 18th-century English Anglican priests 19th-century English Anglican priests Fellows of Oriel College, Oxford Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford People educated at Christ's Hospital English male poets Poet priests