James Merrick (1720-1769), A Version of the Psalms (1789). Nabu Press, 2011. Courtesy Amazon.com.
Rev. James Merrick (8 January 1720 - 5 January 1769) was an English poet and cleric.
Life[]
Merrick was the 2nd son of John Merrick, M.D., of St. Lawrence, Reading (died 5 April 1757, aged 87) by his wife Elizabeth (died 3 April 1764), daughter of Richard Lybbe of Hardwick, Oxfordshire. Both were buried in Caversham Church, Oxfordshire, with many members of their family, who were commemorated in a long Latin inscription by their son James.[1]
James Merrick was educated at the Reading school, where he was head boy, but through some difference between the aldermen and burgesses of the town was not elected for a scholarship on Sir Thomas White's foundation at St John's College, Oxford.[2]
On 5 July 1736, aged 16, he was admitted at Trinity College, Oxford, as a as "commoner of the third order," and was admitted as a scholar on 6 June 1737. He earned a [[Bachelor of Arts}B.A.]] in 1739 and an M.A. in 1742. He became a probationer-fellow 21 May 1744, and a full fellow 21 May 1745.[2]
Though he was ordained in the English church, and preached occasionally between 1747 and 1749, he was prevented by ill-health from accepting any parochial duty. For some time he dwelt in college, where Lord North and Lord Dartmouth were among his pupils, and towards the close of his life he seems to have lived at Reading.[2]
Merrick contributed to the verses which were issued by the University of Oxford on the accession of George III (1761), his marriage (1761), and the birth of his heir (1762), and many poems by him are in the collections of Dodsley, ed. 1766, iv. 173–87, v. 143–6, 213–25, vi. 295; Pearch, i. 142–53; Bell's Fugitive Poetry, xii. 52–6, xviii. 158–62; and in Dodsley's Museum, ii. 182–8.[2]
He died after a long and painful illness, and was buried near his relatives in Caversham Church.[2]
He bequeathed many scarce and valuable books to John Loveday of Williamscote, near Banbury, and £400 to Trinity College.[2]
Recognition[]
His arms are on the paneling in the Trinity College hall.[2]
His poetry was included in Dodsley's Collection of Poems in Six Volumes; by several hands and Pearch's Collection of Poems in Four Volumes; by several hands.[3]
Publications[]
Poetry[]
- The Messiah: A divine essay. Reading, UK: printed by W. Ayres, 1734.
- Poems on Sacred Subjects. Oxford: Clarendon Press, for R. & J. Dodsley, London, 1763.
Non-fiction[]
- A Dissertation on Proverbs. Oxford: printed at the Theatre, for R. Clements & J. Fletcher / John Rivington, London / et al, 1744.
- Annotations ... on the Gospel of John. Reading, UK: J. Carman, et al, 1764.
- A Letter to Joseph Warton: Chiefly relating to the composition of Greek indexes. Reading, UK: J. Carman, et al, 1764.
- Annotations on the Psalms. Reading, UK: J. Carman, for Newbery & Carman, London / Dodsley, London / et al, 1768.
Translated[]
- Tryphiodorus, The Destruction of Troy. Oxford: printed at the Theatre, 1763.
- The Psalms: Translated, or paraphrased, in English verse. Reading, UK: J. Carnan, 1765
- also published as A Version or Paraphrase of the Psalms. London: Thomas Payne, 1789.
Edited[]
- A Short Manual of Prayers for Common Occasions. Reading, UK: J. Carmon, 1768; London: John Rivington, 1774; 7th edition, London: F. & C. Rivington, 1793.
Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.[4]
See also[]
References[]
Courtney, William Prideaux (1894) "Merrick, James" in Lee, Sidney Dictionary of National Biography 37 London: Smith, Elder, pp. 289-291. Wikisource, Web, Aug. 17, 2016.
Notes[]
External links[]
- Poems
- "An Ode to Fancy"
- "On His Majesty's Accession to the Throne"
- James Merrick at the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (16 poems)
- Hymns
- James Merrick at Hymnary (104 hymns)
- About
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, the Dictionary of National Biography (edited by Leslie Stephen). London: Smith, Elder, 1885-1900. Original article is at: Merrick, James
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