Cuthbert Shaw facts for kids

Cuthbert Shaw (born in 1738 or 1739, died in 1771) was an English poet and actor. He was known for his poems and for performing on stage in London.

Cuthbert Shaw was born in a place called Ravensworth in Yorkshire, England. His father, also named Cuthbert Shaw, was a shoemaker. Cuthbert went to the local grammar school in Kirby Hill. To help pay for his education, he worked there as an usher, which is like an assistant teacher. Later, he also worked as an usher at Darlington grammar school.

Shaw decided to become an actor and joined a group of performers in eastern England. In 1760, he appeared in a play called The Minor by Samuel Foote, using the stage name Smith. He was known for his good looks. He performed at the famous Covent Garden in London. In 1761, he played Osman in the play Zara. His last known performance was in May 1762, when he played Pierre in Venice Preserv'd.

After his acting career, Shaw became involved in promoting a health product. He also worked for a short time as a tutor for a young nobleman named Philip Stanhope. Shaw got married, but sadly, his young wife passed away in 1768. Cuthbert Shaw himself died a few years later, on September 1, 1771, at his home in Titchfield Street, London.

His Writings

Cuthbert Shaw was a talented writer. He published his first poem, called Liberty, in 1756. He dedicated this poem to the Earl of Darlington. In 1760, he published a collection of poems titled Odes on the Four Seasons under the pen name W. Seymour.

Shaw also wrote poems that responded to other writers of his time. In 1762, he published The Four Farthing Candles, which was a poetic response to the satirist Charles Churchill. He was influenced by Churchill's work.

Another notable poem was The Race. By Mercurius Spur, esq., published in 1766. In this poem, different poets compete to see who is the most famous. It even included a description of the famous writer Samuel Johnson.

After his wife's death, Shaw wrote a very moving poem called Monody to the Memory of a Young Lady who died in Childbed in 1768. A monody is a sad poem or song. This poem was very popular and was reprinted many times.

He continued to write, publishing Corruption, a Satire in 1769. A satire is a type of writing that uses humor or exaggeration to criticize people or ideas. In 1770, he wrote An Elegy on the Death of Charles Yorke, the Lord Chancellor. An elegy is a poem of serious reflection, usually for the dead.

In his final years, Shaw wrote for magazines like The Freeholder's Magazine. He often shared his sharp observations on people and events happening at the time.

His poems were later included in several collections of British poetry, showing his lasting impact as a writer.

See also

• List of 18th-century British working-class writers