John Potter (writer) facts for kids

John Potter (born around 1734, died after 1813) was a talented English writer, composer, and doctor. He wrote plays and other works, and even created music. He also worked as a spy for the government, gathering important information.

A Life of Many Talents

John Potter was born in London around 1734. Some believe he was the son of John Potter, a vicar from Cloford in Somerset. In 1756, he started a weekly newspaper in Exeter called The Devonshire Inspector.

Potter knew the famous actor David Garrick in London. He wrote special introductions and endings for plays. Through Garrick, he met Jonathan Tyers, who owned Vauxhall Gardens. Vauxhall Gardens was a popular place for entertainment. Potter became a very active composer there, writing lots of music.

He also wrote reviews about plays for The Public Ledger newspaper. However, he later wrote a piece called "The Rosciad" that criticized Garrick. In 1766, Potter accused Garrick of speaking badly about him to Tyers. Garrick denied this but brought up "The Rosciad."

In 1777, Potter had disagreements with the new owners of Vauxhall. He decided to leave his job there. He then traveled to other countries. During this time, he gathered information for the government, working as a spy.

Around 1784, he earned a medical degree in Edinburgh. In 1785, he became a licensed doctor in London. At that time, he was described as being from Oxfordshire. He practiced medicine in Enniscorthy, Ireland. He left during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. The exact year John Potter died is not known, but it is thought to be after 1813.

His Many Works

John Potter wrote many different things. In 1762, he published Observations on the present State of Music and Musicians. This book came from talks he gave at Gresham College. In 1765, he wrote the words for The Choice of Apollo, a musical play performed at the Haymarket Theatre. He also published several collections of the music he composed for Vauxhall Gardens.

In 1766, Potter released The Hobby Horse. This was a funny poem that made fun of David Garrick. His writings about plays were put together in a book called The Theatrical Review. This book was supposedly written by a group of gentlemen who were not influenced by theater managers.

Other works Potter published during this time include:

• The Words of the Wise, 1768, which contained moral lessons.
• An updated version of Edmund Gayton's Festivous Notes on Don Quixote, 1768.
• Music in Mourning, 1780, a funny satire against a musician named John Abraham Fisher.

He also wrote a series of novels. These included:

• History and Adventures of Arthur O'Bradley, (1769)
• The Curate of Coventry, (1771)
• The Virtuous Villagers, (1784)
• The Favourites of Felicity, (1785)
• Frederic, or the Libertine, (1790)

In 1803, while living in London, Potter published Thoughts respecting the Origin of Treasonable Conspiracies. By then, he was a professional writer. His novel Olivia, or the Nymph of the Valley was published in 1813.