Jean Adam facts for kids
Jean Adam (born April 30, 1704 – died April 3, 1765) was a Scottish poet. She is best known for her song "There's Nae Luck Aboot The Hoose." In 1734, she published a book of her poems called Miscellany poems. However, selling her books was difficult, especially after she sent many copies to Boston in North America, where they didn't sell well. This meant she had to work as a teacher and then in people's homes. She faced financial hardship and passed away in a place called Town's Hospital in Glasgow when she was sixty years old.
Early Life and Inspiration
Jean Adam was born in Greenock, Scotland. She came from a family connected to the sea. Sadly, she became an orphan when she was very young.
She had a basic education, learning to read, write, and sew. Jean discovered her love for poetry while working in a minister's home in Greenock. There, she read parts of a famous old story called The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidney. She also learned about the works of John Milton and other classic writers. These stories and poems inspired her to start writing her own.
Becoming a Poet
Jean began writing her own poems. A man named Mr. Drummond helped her find people who would pay in advance for her book. This way, she could afford to publish her collection of poems. Her book, Miscellany poems, was printed in 1734.
About 150 people supported her book, including local business owners, religious leaders, and even a wealthy landowner. Her book had 80 poems, mostly about religious and moral ideas. However, the book sales were not as good as she hoped. She used her savings to send many copies to Boston in North America, hoping they would sell there, but they did not. This made her financial situation even harder.
Later Years and Legacy
After her book didn't sell well, Jean Adam worked for many years at a school in Cartsdyke, near where she was born. After 1751, she worked in people's homes for the rest of her life.
Jean Adam faced many challenges and struggled financially in her later years. She passed away on April 3, 1765, in Town's Hospital, a place in Glasgow that helped people in need.
Her most famous work is the song "There's Nae Luck Aboot The Hoose." This song tells the story of a sailor's wife waiting for her husband to return safely from the sea. Even though there was some debate about who wrote it, it is now widely believed to be her work. It is said that the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns admired the song's quality many years after Jean Adam's death.
Works
- Miscellany poems. By Mrs Jane Adams in Crawfordsdyke (Glasgow, 1734)
- "There's Nae Luck Aboot The Hoose" (song; attributed to her)
See also
- List of early-modern British women poets
