Sir Aubrey de Vere, 2nd Baronet facts for kids

Sir Aubrey (Hunt) de Vere (born August 28, 1788 – died July 5, 1846) was an important Irish poet and landowner. He was known for his beautiful poems and for managing his family's large estate in County Limerick, Ireland. He also had a challenging time dealing with an island his father bought, which caused financial problems for the family.

Who Was Sir Aubrey de Vere?

Sir Aubrey de Vere was a well-known figure in Ireland during the 1800s. He was a poet, which means he wrote poems. He also owned a lot of land, making him a landowner. His family was called "Anglo-Irish," meaning they were of English descent but lived in Ireland.

Early Life and Family

Aubrey de Vere was born on August 28, 1788. His father was Sir Vere Hunt, who was the first Baronet of his family. A Baronet is a special title, like a knight, that can be passed down through the family. His mother was Eleanor Pery.

Aubrey went to school at Harrow School, a famous school in England. There, he became good friends with Lord Byron, who was also a famous poet. Later, Aubrey studied at Trinity College, Dublin in Ireland.

In 1807, Aubrey married Mary Spring Rice. Her brother was Thomas Spring Rice, 1st Baron Monteagle of Brandon, who was an important person in politics. Aubrey and Mary had five sons and three daughters. Two of their sons, Aubrey and Stephen de Vere, later became Baronets themselves. Another son, Aubrey Thomas de Vere, also became a poet, just like his father.

Life at Curraghchase

The de Vere family had a large estate called Curraghchase Forest Park in County Limerick, Ireland. This estate had been in their family for 300 years! Sir Aubrey spent most of his life there and was very involved in managing the land and property.

However, owning land also brought problems. His father had bought an island called Lundy in 1802. His father was not very good with money, and buying Lundy turned out to be a bad idea. The island became a big drain on the family's money. Sir Vere, Aubrey's father, could never sell it. It took Aubrey many years, until 1834, to finally sell the island and stop the financial problems it caused.

His Political Life

Sir Aubrey also tried to get involved in politics. He ran for election in the 1820 General Election. He came in third place with 2921 votes.

In 1811, he served as the High Sheriff of County Limerick. A High Sheriff was an important local official responsible for keeping law and order in the county.

A Gifted Poet

Sir Aubrey was a talented poet. Another very famous poet, William Wordsworth, said that Aubrey's sonnets (a type of poem with 14 lines) were the best of his time. This was high praise from such an important writer!

His son, Aubrey Thomas de Vere, later published some of his father's works. These included his sonnets and a play called Mary Tudor: An Historical Drama.

Notable Works

Sir Aubrey de Vere wrote many pieces during his life. Some of his most well-known works include:

• Ode to the Duchess of Angouleme (published in 1815)
• Julian the Apostate: A Dramatic Poem (published in 1822)
• The Duke of Mercia: An Historical Drama (published in 1823)
• A Song of Faith: Devout Exercises and Sonnets
• His most famous work, Mary Tudor: An Historical Drama