Rev. John Whitfield was the fourth Oxford Professor of Poetry.
Life[]
Little details are available on Whitfield's life.
At the time of his election as Oxford Professor of Poetry in 1738, Whitfield was a student at Christ Church, Oxford, though already possessing an M.A.[1] He held the professorship for only 3 years (1738-1741).[2]
In 1741 Whitfield became rector of Bideford, in Devon. He held that position for more than 40 years (until 1783), despite controversy with municipal officials. Reportedly he wrote epigrams maligning the local officials, while he himself was the subject of at least one petition to the Bishop of Essex concerning his conduct.[3]
See also[]
| Preceded by Joseph Spence |
Oxford Professor of Poetry 1738-1741 |
Succeeded by Robert Lowth |
References[]
- ↑ Professorships of Poetry, The Historical Register of the University of Oxford: Being a supplement to the Oxford University Calender, with an alphabetical record of university honours and distinctions, completed to the End of Trinity Term, 1888 (Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press, 1888), p. 59. Google Books, Web, Aug. 21, 2014.
- ↑ Professor of Poetry, University of Oxford. Web, Aug. 20, 2014.
- ↑ F.J. Snell, North Devon (Lonon: A. & C. Black, 1906), 125-130. Web, Aug. 20, 2014.
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