Mary Jones (poet) facts for kids

Mary Jones (born March 8, 1707 – died February 10, 1778) was an English poet. She wrote many poems and was known for her clever and gentle style.

Mary Jones's Life Story

Early Life in Oxford

Mary Jones was born in Oxford, England. Her birth date was March 8, 1707. Her father, Oliver, worked as a cooper, making barrels. Mary had an older brother, also named Oliver. He became a senior chaplain at Christ Church, Oxford. A chaplain is like a minister or priest.

Mary learned French and Italian when she was a child. She lived a simple life with her brother in Oxford for most of her years.

Friends and Connections

By 1730, Mary became friends with Martha Lovelace. Martha was the daughter of a nobleman, John Lovelace. She was also a "Maid of Honour" to Queen Caroline. This meant Martha helped the Queen.

Mary wrote poems in private letters to Martha and her friends. These friends were important people. Because of them, Mary could sometimes leave Oxford. She would stay at their large country homes.

Unexpected Publications

In April 1742, Mary was surprised. One of her poems, The Lass of the Hill, was published. She did not know it would be printed. Around the same time, her poem about Lord Aubrey Beauclerk was also published. His wife printed it without asking Mary.

Mary was humble about her poetry. She did not think about publishing her work. Her friends had to encourage her to do it.

Her Only Book

In 1750, Mary's wealthy friends helped her. They paid for her book to be published. It was called Miscellanies in Prose and Verse. This was her only book of poems. However, some of her poems appeared in magazines. They were in The London Magazine in 1752. They were also in the book Poems by Eminent Ladies in 1755.

Her book was very popular. A writer named Ralph Griffiths gave it a "long and glowing review."

A Clever Poet

Samuel Johnson met Mary Jones when he visited Oxford. He called her "the Chantress." This means someone who sings or recites poetry. Another writer, Thomas Warton, said she was "a most sensible, agreeable and amiable woman."

In one of her poems, Mary said she felt overshadowed by Alexander Pope. He was a very famous poet. His writing clearly influenced her. Mary's poems were witty and gently funny. They made mild fun of fancy manners. But her poems were never mean or harsh.

Mary Jones was the postmistress of Oxford when she died. She was buried there on February 14, 1778.