John Macken facts for kids

John Macken (born around 1784 – died May 7, 1823) was an Irish poet. He also helped manage a newspaper called the Enniskillen Chronicle.

John Macken's Life Story

John Macken was born around 1784. He was the oldest son of Richard Macken, who was a merchant in a town called Brookeborough in County Fermanagh, Ireland.

Starting a Newspaper

In the town of Enniskillen, John Macken helped start a newspaper. It was called the Enniskillen Chronicle, but sometimes people also called it the Erne Packet. The very first newspaper came out on August 10, 1808. John Macken worked as an editor alongside his brother-in-law, Edward Duffy. John wrote many articles and poems for the newspaper.

Time as a Sailor

Later, John Macken became a sailor in the Navy. He was part of an important event in 1816. This was the bombardment of Algiers, where ships fired cannons at the city of Algiers.

Writing Poetry in London

In 1818, John Macken moved to London. He published a book of his poems called The Harp of the Desert. He paid for it himself. He used a pen name, Ismael Fitzadam, for this book. The poems were about his experiences in Algiers. He dedicated the book to Lord Exmouth, who was a hero from the Algiers event. However, Lord Exmouth did not respond to the dedication. Sadly, this first book of poems was not very successful.

While in London, John Macken met an Irish family historian named Henry Nugent Bell. John helped him put together a book about noble families called The Huntingdon Peerage. Bell also introduced John to William Jerdan, who was the editor of a magazine called the Literary Gazette. John Macken, still using his pen name Ismael Fitzadam, wrote poems for this magazine.

With William Jerdan's help, John Macken published another book of poems called Lays on Land. The Literary Gazette promoted the book. Jerdan even said the poems were a great mix of styles from famous poets like Scott and Byron. But even with this promotion, the book did not sell well.

Returning Home

In 1821, John Macken returned to Ireland because he was not feeling well. He went back to his job as an editor for the Enniskillen Chronicle. He passed away on May 7, 1823. He was buried in Aughaveagh parish church. After his death, a writer named Letitia Elizabeth Landon wrote a poem about him. It was published in the Literary Gazette in June 1823.