John Lofland (1798–1849), widely known as the "Milford Bard" of

Milford, Delaware Milford is a city in Kent and Sussex counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. According to the 2020 census, the population of the city is 11,190 people and 4,356 households in the city. The Kent County portion of Milford is part of the Dover, DE ...

, was a prolific and widely read writer of prose, verse, and speeches. He grew up and spent much of his life in "The Towers" on North West Front Street in Milford. Later in his life he moved to

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

where he associated with

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

Family Background

Lofland was born in Milford, Delaware on March 17, 1798. His father, Isaac, had moved to Milford from Frederica to start a general merchandise business. Isaac had married twice, but, tragically, both his wives had died. His third marriage was to Cynthia Virden, the daughter of a prominent local figure in Brown's Branch, five miles north of Milford. The marriage is speculated to have been an arranged one, a tactic of Cynthia's father to forge a strong relationship with Isaac, who held great sway in the local community. Cynthia's father wanted Issac's support to get appointed as the Milford schoolmaster. Lofland was Isaac and Cynthia's first child. He had a brother but he died aged three. The Loflands had another child, a daughter, Sarah, in 1802. Lofland formed a close and affectionate relationship with Sarah that lasted throughout their lives. Lofland's father died in 1803, bequeathing his widow and children a significant fortune. Cynthia later married a Laurel, a druggist who went on to run a general merchandise business.

Education

Lofland wasn't the brightest child at school. His mother had to teach him at home. It took Lofland longer than usual to learn how to read. After that his learning abilities improved significantly. He developed a love for reading and became a voracious reader. The first books he read were mostly English literature. Books written by American writers were rare and there were none for children. After turning twelve Lofland began reading science, theology, metaphysics, history, and mythology. As he reached his teens, Lofland gained access to a local scholar's library. He began reading

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...

d'Alembert Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert (; ; 16 November 1717 – 29 October 1783) was a French mathematician, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. Until 1759 he was, together with Denis Diderot, a co-editor of the ''Encyclopédie ...

, Mauperitius,

Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

Condorcet Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas de Caritat, Marquis of Condorcet (; 17 September 1743 – 29 March 1794), known as Nicolas de Condorcet, was a French philosopher and mathematician. His ideas, including support for a liberal economy, free and equal pu ...

, Volney, Hume, and Gibbon. Lofland later described this phase in his life as reading and awakening as a skeptic. The skepticism spilled into his family life and caused problems. Being deeply religious, his family found it hard to cope with his philosophical awakening. Giving in to his mother's constant demands, he finally read the Bible, finding in it truth and beauty. Nevertheless, he did not consider himself capable of following Christianity.

References

1798 births 1849 deaths People from Milford, Delaware Poets from Delaware American male poets 19th-century American poets 19th-century American male writers {{US-poet-stub