Samuel Lover facts for kids
Samuel Lover (born February 24, 1797 – died July 6, 1868) was a very talented Irish artist. He was known by the nickname "Ben Trovato," which means "well invented." Samuel Lover was a songwriter, a composer (someone who writes music), and a novelist (someone who writes books). He was also a painter, especially good at painting tiny portraits called miniatures. He was the grandfather of another famous composer, Victor Herbert.
Contents
Samuel Lover's Life Story
Samuel Lover was born in Dublin, Ireland, at a place called No. 60 Grafton Street. He went to school at Samuel Whyte's, which is now a famous café called Bewley's.
By 1830, he was an important person in the art world. He became the Secretary of the Royal Hibernian Academy, a famous art school. At this time, he lived at No. 9 D'Olier Street in Dublin.
Moving to London and New Work
In 1835, Samuel Lover moved to London, England. There, he started writing music for funny plays. For some plays, like the short opera Il Paddy Whack in Italia (1841), he wrote both the story (called the libretto) and the music. For other plays, he just wrote a few songs.
Samuel Lover wrote many popular Irish songs. Some of his most famous ones include The Angel's Whisper, Molly Bawn, and The Four-leaved Shamrock. These songs were loved by many people.
Writing Books and Shows
He also wrote novels. His best-known books are Rory O'Moore and Handy Andy. Rory O'Moore actually started as a song before it became a book!
Lover also wrote short stories about Irish life. He combined these stories with his songs to create a popular show. He called this show Irish Nights or Irish Evenings. He even toured North America with his show from 1846 to 1848.
Samuel Lover also helped start a magazine called Bentley's Magazine. He did this with the famous writer Charles Dickens.
"When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen." – Samuel Lover
Family Connections
Samuel Lover's daughter, Fanny, was the mother of Victor Herbert. Victor Herbert grew up to be a very famous composer too. He wrote many musicals and short operas that were performed on Broadway. When Victor was a child, he lived with Samuel Lover and his family. This was after his mother and father divorced. Living with his grandparents meant Victor grew up in a very musical home.
Samuel Lover's Death and What He Left Behind
Samuel Lover passed away on July 6, 1868. He died in Saint Helier, which is on the island of Jersey.
There is a special memorial for him in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin in Ireland. This memorial celebrates all his achievements. It says he was "Poet, painter, novelist and composer." It also says that he used his amazing talent to show the special qualities of the Irish people. Because of this, his name will always be remembered with honor in Ireland.
Samuel Lover's Works
Selected Books and Stories
- Songs and Legends of the Irish People (1831)
- Legends and Stories of Ireland (1834)
- Rory O'More: A National Romance. Novel (1837)
- Songs and Ballads (1839)
- Handy Andy. A Tale of Irish Life (1841)
- Treasure Trove/He Would Be a Gentleman
Selected Music for Stage Plays
(He wrote the stories for these plays himself)
- Rory O'More, a funny opera (1837)
- The White Horse of the Peppers, a dramatic romance (1838)
- Snap Apple Night, or A Kick-up in Kerry, a musical play (1839)
- The Greek Boy, a musical play (1840)
- Il Paddy Whack in Italia, a short opera (1841)
- The Irish Tourist's Ticket (1853) (He only wrote the music for this one)
