Mary Ann Dawes Blackett (fl. 1786-1791) was an English author of two collections of poetry and one book of conduct literature. Her ''Suicide; a poem'' (1789) addressed what was considered by foreigners and English alike to be a pressing national problem.

Life

The little that is known of Blackett's life comes mainly from the genealogical research of the Blackett family or from her own writings. Details of her birth and antecedents are unknown. She was likely married to one Thomas Blackett of Bloomsbury, though the records are not definitive. Her husband was probably a Roman Catholic as by her own account her only daughter, Catherine (born c. 1773?), was educated in a convent in Nice despite Blackett herself being Protestant.Blackett, Mary Dawes, ''The mointress; or, The Œ conomy of female life. In a series of letters. From Mary Daws Blackett, to her daughter''. 1791. Based on references in her writings, it would appear that Blackett was widowed, and also suffered the loss of a brother at sea.Todd, Janet, ed. ''A Dictionary of British and American women writers, 1660-1800''. Totowa, N.J.: Rowman & Allanheld, 1985, Accessed 26 August 2022. p. 48.
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The details of her death are better known: she died in Vauxhall, now part of south London, and was buried at St. Mary’s, Lambeth on 8 August 1792.

Work

Blackett apparently had many acquaintances, including poet

Thomas Chatterton Thomas Chatterton (20 November 1752 – 24 August 1770) was an English poet whose precocious talents ended in suicide at age 17. He was an influence on Romantic artists of the period such as Shelley, Keats, Wordsworth and Coleridge. Altho ...

. She published three known works: two poetic and one a series of letters to her daughter. All three works were "printed for the author" (i.e. self-published). 'The antichamber; a poem, in three cantos" (1786) is a satire on courtiers. Only the first canto, 158 lines of

heroic couplets A heroic couplet is a traditional form for English poetry, commonly used in epic and narrative poetry, and consisting of a rhyming pair of lines in iambic pentameter. Use of the heroic couplet was pioneered by Geoffrey Chaucer in the ''Legend of ...

, was published. ''Suicide; a poem'' (1789), 402 lines of heroic couplets, is inscribed to

Richard Cosway Richard Cosway (5 November 1742 – 4 July 1821) was a leading English portrait painter of the Georgian and Regency era, noted for his miniatures. He was a contemporary of John Smart, George Engleheart, William Wood, and Richard Crosse. ...

. In this "ode to Chatterton," Blackett addresses the presumed English predisposition to suicide,Brown, Ron M. ''The art of suicide''. London: Reaktion Books, 2001, p. 134.
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which she describes as a "horrid Mania" that calls "for the most serious consideration." The poem critiques the death penalty for inuring the population to death, describes six suicides, and offers a message of fortitude in adversity. ''The mointress'' (1791) is a piece of conduct literature in the form of letters addressed to her daughter.

Works

Poetry

*''The antichamber; a poem, in three cantos. ... By M. Blackett''. London: printed for the author, by T. Bensley; and sold by James Ridgway, 1786. *''Suicide; a poem. Inscribed, by permission, to Richard Cosway, principal painter to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. By Mary Dawes Blackett''. London: printed by W. Justins, for the author; and sold by Robinson, Pater-noster-row; Debrett, Piccadilly; Edwards, Pall Mall Sewell ic Cornhill; and Hodgson, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1789.

Conduct literature

* ''The mointress; or, The Œ conomy of female life. In a series of letters. From Mary Daws Blackett, to her daughter''. London: Printed by James Adlard, No. 39, Duke Street West Smithfield. For the author: and sold by W. Miller, Old Bond Street; and G.G.J. & J. Robinson, Pater-Noster-Row, 1791.Blackett, Mary Dawes. ''The mointress; or, The Œ conomy of female life. In a series of letters. From Mary Daws Blackett, to her daughter''
The Women's Print History Project, 2019, title ID 6573. Accessed 26 August 2022.

Etexts

Notes

External sites

* *
Author: Blackett, Mary Dawes
Jackson Bibliography of Romantic Poetry, UofT Libraries.
Blackett, Mary Dawes
" The Women's Print History Project, 2019, Person ID 2147. Accessed 2022-08-26.
Mary Dawes Blackett
" Shakeosphere: mapping early-modern social networks. University of Iowa. {{DEFAULTSORT:Blackett, Mary Dawes 1792 deaths 18th-century British writers 18th-century English women 18th-century English writers 18th-century English women writers English poets English women poets Writers of the Romantic era year of birth unknown