George Huddesford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Huddesford
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1780 self portrait
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| Born | 1749 Oxford, England
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| Died | 1809 |
| Resting place | Loxley church |
| Occupation | Cleric |
| Relatives | William Huddesford was his elder brother |
Rev. George Huddesford (1749–1809) was an English painter and a poet. He was known for writing funny and critical poems. He lived in Oxford, England.
One of his first poems caused a stir. It was called a "vile poem" by author Fanny Burney. This was because it accidentally revealed that she was the secret writer of the famous novel, Evelina.
Contents
Life of George Huddesford
George Huddesford was born in Oxford in 1749. He was baptized on December 7th of that year. His father, also named George Huddesford, was the head of Trinity College.
George went to Winchester College for his schooling. Later, he studied at Trinity College, Oxford. His older brother, William, helped create the famous Ashmolean Museum.
College and Marriage
In 1771, George left his father's college. He became a fellow at New College. A "fellow" is like a senior member or researcher at a college.
However, he resigned from this position a year later. This was because he got married. People said he married quickly, driven by his excitement for his new wife.
Huddesford as a Painter
George Huddesford was an amateur painter. This means he painted for fun, not as his main job. After leaving Oxford, he studied with the famous artist Joshua Reynolds.
Before 1775, Huddesford showed several of his paintings at the Royal Academy. This was a big achievement for an amateur. He painted portraits using oil paints. One of his paintings was a full-length portrait of George Lee, the Earl of Lichfield.
Joshua Reynolds, his teacher, also painted Huddesford. Huddesford had asked Reynolds to paint him with his good friend John Codrington Bampfylde. Reynolds also painted a portrait of Mrs. Huddesford. George Huddesford's own self-portrait from around 1780 is kept at New College, Oxford.
His Satirical Poetry
In 1778, Huddesford published a satirical poem called 'Warley, A Satire'. He published it without his name on it. It was dedicated to his teacher, Joshua Reynolds.
This was the poem that Fanny Burney called "vile." It not only revealed she wrote Evelina but also a special nickname given to her by Samuel Johnson. Huddesford wrote other satirical poems too. He often made fun of "the French" and unfair elections.
One of his later works was a collection of poems. It featured poems by former students of Winchester College. This collection was called the "Wiccamical Chaplet."
Friendships and Later Life
In 1791, Huddesford wrote a funny poem about the death of Thomas Warton. Warton was a poetry professor in Oxford. He was also a friend to famous people like Samuel Johnson, Joshua Reynolds, and Edmund Burke.
The long poem compared Warton to a college cat. It was titled "Monody on the Death of Dick, an Academical Cat." The poem was full of clever jokes and hidden meanings.
The painting of Huddesford with John Bampfylde shows them looking at a portrait of Thomas Warton. Huddesford and Bampfylde were very close friends. However, their friendship faced challenges when Bampfylde began to struggle with his mental health.
Bampfylde had proposed marriage to Reynolds' niece, Mary Palmer. She turned him down. After this, Reynolds asked Bampfylde to leave his house. Bampfylde was later arrested for breaking Reynolds' windows. He was then sent to a special hospital for twenty years. It is said that Bampfylde got better, but he sadly died of an illness shortly after he was released.
Huddesford joined the church in the six years before he died in London. Thanks to his connections, he became a priest in Loxley, Warwickshire. He also served at "Sir George Whelkers Chapel" in London.
Works
Here are some of George Huddesford's published works:
- Warley, a Satire (published without his name), part i., October 1778; part ii., November 1778
- Salmagundi: a Miscellaneous Combination of Original Poetry (published without his name), 1791
- Topsy Turvy; with Anecdotes and Observations illustrative of the Present Government of France (published without his name), 1793
- Bubble and Squeak: a Gallimaufry of British Beef with the Chopp'd Cabbage of Gallic Philosophy and Radical Reform (published without his name), 1799
- Crambe Repetita, a Second Course of Bubble and Squeak (published without his name), 1799
- Les Champignons du Diable, or Imperial Mushrooms, 1805
- The Scum Uppermost when the Middlesex Porridge-pot Boils Over: an Heroic Election Ballad, 1802; two editions
- Wood and Stone, or a Dialogue between a Wooden Duke [of Northumberland] and Stone Lion [over his house at Charing Cross, London], around 1802
- Bonaparte: an Heroic Ballad: with a Sermon in its Belly..., 1803
- The Wiccamical Chaplet, a Selection of Original Poetry, Leigh, Sotheby and Son, 1804. (He was the editor of this collection.)
Images for kids
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Huddesford's parish church in Loxley, Warwickshire
