John Codrington Warwick Bampfylde or Bampfield (27 August 1754 – 1796/7) was an 18th-century English poet. He came from a prominent

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

family, his father being

Sir Richard Bampfylde, 4th Baronet Sir Richard Warwick Bampfylde, 4th Baronet (21 November 1722 – 15 July 1776) of Poltimore, North Molton, Warleigh, Tamerton Foliot and Copplestone in Devon and of Hardington in Somerset,Wotton, Thomas, The English Baronetage, Vol 2, Londo ...

, and was educated at

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is the fifth-oldest surviving college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by ...

. He had financial problems, having fallen into dissipation on going to London. His romantic advances to Mary Palmer (later wife of

Murrough O'Brien, 1st Marquess of Thomond Sir Murrough O'Brien, 10th Baron of Inchiquin, 5th Baron O'Brien of Burren, 1st Baron Thomond of Taplow, 5th Earl of Inchiquin, 1st Marquess of Thomond KP, PC (Ire) (1726 – 10 February 1808), known from 1777 to 1800 as the 5th Earl of Inchiqui ...

), niece of Joshua Reynolds, were refused by her and discouraged by Reynolds, who expelled Bampfylde from the house. Bampfylde was subsequently arrested for breaking Reynolds's windows, and he spent the latter part of his life in a

psychiatric hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociat ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, briefly regaining his sanity before his death. He died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

. His only published work was ''Sixteen Sonnets'' (1778), which attracted the attention of

Robert Southey Robert Southey ( or ; 12 August 1774 – 21 March 1843) was an English poet of the Romantic school, and Poet Laureate from 1813 until his death. Like the other Lake Poets, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Southey began as a ra ...

References

Leslie Stephen Sir Leslie Stephen (28 November 1832 – 22 February 1904) was an English author, critic, historian, biographer, and mountaineer, and the father of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell. Life Sir Leslie Stephen came from a distinguished intellect ...

, "Bampfylde, John Codrington Warwick (1754–1796)", rev. S. C. Bushell, ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', Oxford University Press, 2004, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/1262, retrieved 25 June 2007.

External links

John Codrington Bampfylde National Portrait Gallery: John Codrington Bampfylde (1754-1796), Poet
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bampfylde, John 1754 births 1796 deaths 18th-century deaths from tuberculosis 18th-century English poets Tuberculosis deaths in England Younger sons of baronets English male poets 18th-century English male writers Sonneteers