John "Poet" CLOSE (1816-1891), printer and bookseller
The CLOSE one-name study has uncovered a number of interesting and sometimes strange characters - and one of the quirkiest must be John 'Poet' CLOSE. Thanks to his own published writings and various press reports and letters there is an abundance of information available about this individual, who even made it into the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, although his entry is less than complimentary.
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John CLOSE, the son of Jarvis CLOSE and Elizabeth (née HARKER) , was born at Dyke Heads in Swaledale on the estate of the Rt Hon Sir James PARKE(1), and was baptised at Gunnerside Methodist Chapel on 11th August 1816. His family moved to Crosby Garrett in 1819.
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Picture source: CLOSE, John, The Book of the Chronicles (1842), frontispiece
From butcher's boy to poet
As John was growing up, he began to help his father in his business as a butcher and farmer. However, John soon became convinced that his future lay in writing rather than following in his father's footsteps. Although he worked with his father for 20 years, he also began publishing poems, novels and other writings about the area and its characters. In one of John's publications, The Book of the Chronicles (1842), he described himself as the "Little Town(2) Poet (Butcher though he be!)" serving at the butcher's stall in Brough market, and using any quiet moments to "note down at his stall side some lucky thought, bright idea or poetical effusion".
John's poems provide evidence of the conflict of interest between father and son. In The Book of the Chronicles he published some writings under the pseudonym of Sam Dowell, including a long poem preceded by the following lines(3):
The poem which follows those lines relates how John visited a number of residents and locations in Swaledale on one of his book-selling missions.
Seeking support
There were evidently others who, like his father, also disapproved of John's chosen path, and the poet often lamented the lack of support from well-to-do individuals who could have become his patrons, but he commended the BRADLEY family and others for their encouragement:
'No wonder we love the Bradleys; they were the only Family among the Gentry of Kirkby-Stephen … who could stoop down and smile on the youthful Poet, the despised "Butcher's Lad," whom no Great Man took by the hand to send him to College! We may well love the dear Bradleys, for when the rest treated us in our youth with unmerited scorn and contempt, "because the Butcher's Lad would be a Poet," we declare the Bradleys always cheered us up, talked to us, smiled upon us, and at every turn of life were always the same.'(4)
In The Book of the Chronicles (1842), John's many complimentary and detailed references to local characters undoubtedly encouraged those individuals to buy his books, although John always maintained that his compliments were given in response to their generous hospitality:
'The Author having become a remarkable favourite with (Kirkby Stephen's) gentry, a welcome visitor at all their parties of pleasure and social select assemblies, their smiles of cordial friendship so liberally and so frequently bestowed upon him, that it excited corresponding emotions of lively gratitude in his unsophisticated bosom, that he could devise no other mode more appropriate or more lasting, than tuning his harp and singing songs in their praise - inspired by the Muse with the gift of song; and with his pen record the flittings of his fancy, for their amusement - adding another volume to their libraries. It becomes the humble to be thankful ! and to bear in their memories the kindness of the charitable. His pen shall record their virtues, and transmit down to the latest age - to millions of posterity - their fame, increasing as years roll on - "world without end!"'(5)
Family and career developments
John established himself as a printer and was listed as such in an 1849 trade directory(6) and in the 1851 census(7) when he was still living with his parents and sister Ann.
He published an annual "Christmas Book", and in later years a volume entitled "Once a Year", containing a mixture of poetry, fictional prose and accounts of events in the neighbourhood around Kirkby Stephen.
In 1858 John married a widow, Eliza LOWDON (née EARLY), who had moved to Westmorland from London (St Marylebone) around 1855, and who already had three children(8). By the time of the 1861 census(9) two more children, Jarvis William and Elizabeth (Lizzie), had been born into the family.
Setbacks and financial struggles
Like his father before him, John was not afraid of speaking his mind, nor of putting such thoughts into print. On one occasion this brought him into serious trouble. In 1856 he was successfully sued for libel and had to pay £300 in compensation.(10)
A further setback in 1860 was to follow. John had found favour with Lord LONSDALE and Lord CARLISLE among others, who had persuaded the then Prime Minister, Lord PALMERSTON, to grant him a civil list pension of £50 a year from a fund designated for the support of writers of merit who had fallen on hard times.(11) However, very shortly afterwards Parliament decided that John's writings were of no particular literary merit, and the pension was withdrawn. Lord PALMERSTON granted him a gift of £100 from the Queen's Bounty in compensation(12), but John never ceased to complain about the great injustice he had suffered:
"The late Prime Minister has been giving Pensions to those who don't want them, but in vain may Titus Stubbs, Esq. make an appeal for us, now is the time to help us, when our Children ought to be Educated; when we die, the whole County, no doubt, will subscribe, and give us a Marble Stone! Alas ! alas ! when we record the fact that a short time ago, we sent one of our M.P.'s for this County a Fine Copy of our Novel and Portraits, in value about 10s., and not as much as thanked! It is high time we speak out. God help us and the warm-hearted Lawyer BELL, of Appleby ! the so-called Great Men of Westmoreland care very little for either of us, only get into Parliament, what care they?'(13)
The Once a Year book of 1862 begins with a section entitled "Correspondence with the Government etc." in which John CLOSE reprints not only letters of appreciation from his patrons and subscribers, but also correspondence with those who were less than impressed by his literary work. It was a great source of disappointment and annoyance to John that the "splendid copy in morocco and gold" of his Christmas Book sent to Sir George GREY early in 1862 with a request to present it to Queen Victoria had been deemed "not one which he felt it his duty to lay before the Queen". Only after a further written request was the copy returned to the poet. John did not leave the matter there, but wrote again to Sir George GREY pointing out that he had kept the second copy which had been sent for his own personal use, without having the courtesy to thank Poet CLOSE. The letter continued,
'…(the poet) declares that in preventing her Majesty seeing what must have pleased any feeling heart, … he must pronounce Sir G. Grey's conduct an act of petty tyranny, which will reflect disgrace on the Government, as being a display of narrow prejudice to the Poet of Westmoreland, who, although not the Court Laureate, has sung his best, and shown the emotions of a Loyal Heart; and the best can do no more. The above Correspondence will shortly be published, when the world can judge between the Secretary of State and the poor, unjustly-persecuted
J. CLOSE, The Poet'(14)
John struggled to make a living from his chosen career. In 1862 he wrote,
'To get my "Tales and Legends" printed I shall mortgage my Printing Office, and borrow £30 of a friend, for I must have this work out; then, for a while, I will make a pause.'
In a footnote he added,
We may as well explain here that all the Subscribers to this Work do not even pay the expense of the Cuts, and, unless published at a venture, could not be done at all. We think it a great shame to state this; as if all the Gentlemen in the County took only one copy each, 1000 might easily be sold, but now, not more than 50 copies are subscribed for! Facts are facts; but to get this work out, the Poet would sell the coat off his back. - Ed.(15)
Delusions of grandeur?
Once a year (1862) concludes with a list of subscribers, at the foot of which appears the line, "Royal Printing Office, Kirkby-Stephen", no doubt an allusion to John's proud possession of the office of Poet Laureate to the King of Bonny - a little-known tribal leader in Nigeria.
Poet CLOSE's lecture on "Poets and why God made them", delivered on 9 March 1865, and followed by the publication of "Poet Close's Lectures, Orations, and New Poems", prompted a lengthy outburst in the Preston Guardian(16), describing the work as "a volume of ravings" and recommending in no uncertain terms that he should return to his former occupation as a butcher. Another lecture, given in Carlisle in October 1865, was reported in The Carlisle Journal in far from complimentary terms, and subsequently reported in The Times:
'The Carlisle Journal, giving a report of the entertainment, says the pervading idea of the whole lecture was, "Buy the poet's books." …. He read extracts from some of his "poems," to the great amusement of his audience; and recounted the history of the Civil List pension granted to him in 1860, and of his appointment to the laureateship of Bonny."'
Poet Close's Grand Lake Book, published in 1869, arose from John's custom of spending time during the summer at Bowness on Windermere 'under the yews' selling his books to the well-heeled clientele of the Lakeland hotels. The book includes a number of advertisements from local businesses; those for the hotels are accompanied by short poems in praise of the proprietors and staff - no doubt seen by Poet CLOSE as a guarantee of good sales in those establishments. The example shown here relates to the Ferry Hotel, Windermere.
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Source: Poet Close's Grand Lake Book 1869, page 20.
Although the 1871 census described the family's address as simply "Main St., Kirkby Stephen", John CLOSE himself used to give his home the much grander designation of "Poet's Hall, Kirkby Stephen". A disparaging newspaper article(17) painted a different picture; referring to a drawing which appeared in one of John's books captioned "a fine view of Poet's Hall", the article reveals,
'This fine view of "Poet's Hall" represents the frontage of a very ordinary cottage, with his shop, where (judging from the placards) Mr Close carries on the business of a printing-office, sells paper hangings, keeps a circulating library, and deals in fancy goods generally.'
Family matters
The 1871 census(18) indicates that by this time three more children had been added to the family:
'May God reward the Colonel kind,
Who gave us such a boon;
Whose kindness got him in this School
At such an age so soon.
Well may we love Colonel Lowther's Name,
Long Life may he enjoy;
Whose Patronage has crowned our Son
Made him a - Blue Coat Boy.'(20)
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Seven years later Jarvis William obtained an exhibition of £36 a year for five years at Queen's College, Oxford.(21) However, he apparently did not complete his studies. Both he and his younger brother Charles were to give further cause for concern in the family, since in both the 1881(22) and 1891(23) census they are recorded as inmates at the County Asylum in Carlisle. In 1881 John's cousin Anthony Close was also a patient at the same institution.(24)
John's occupation in 1871 was described as 'printer and news agent' ; in 1881 he was a 'bookseller and stationer', and that was how he was also described in his 1890 will. Although he chose to be known as 'Poet Close', maybe 'poet' would not have been regarded as an appropriate designation of his occupation in those official documents. However, in Bulmer's directory of 1885(25) he is listed under the heading of "Booksellers, Stationers &c" as "Close, John (author & poet), Poet's hall". Throughout these years John continued to produce a regular stream of publications, heaping praise on his supporters, denouncing those who failed to appreciate his works and lamenting the poverty and injustice which he suffered.
John's legacy
On 15th February 1891 John died, aged 74, and was buried in Kirkby Stephen cemetery. John was rewarded with a short obituary in The Times(26) although, after mentioning his bookstall at Bowness, it focused on the issue of his lost pension and the fact that he claimed the title of "Poet Laureate to the King of Bonny", carefully avoiding any discussion of the literary merits or otherwise of his works.
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is more explicit in its views about John CLOSE's writing, describing him as a 'writer of doggerel', and going on to say:
'Close's assiduity in writing verse about people and affairs in his neighbourhood attracted the patronage of the local nobility, despite his lack of any real literary talent.'(27)
1) CLOSE, John, The Book of the Chronicles (1842), p. 190
2) John's name for Kirkby Stephen
3) CLOSE, John, The Book of the Chronicles (1842), p. 190
4) CLOSE, John, Once a Year, Tales and Legends of Westmorland, Issue 1 (1862), p.62
5) CLOSE, John, The Book of the Chronicles (1842), p. x
6) MANNEX, P J, History, Topography and Directory of Westmorland and Lonsdale North of the Sands in Lancashire (1849) p.164, Simpkin, Marshall and Co, Hall Court, London
7) 1851 Census: Kirkby Stephen HO107/2439 F356 P24 S109
8) Eliza's eldest daughter Mary Lowdon,10, is not listed with the family in 1861, but she did appear in 1871.
9) 1861 Census, Kirkby Stephen RG9/3959 F13 P4 S14
10) The Caledonian Mercury, 9 May 1861 - article: 'A pensioned "poet", and his "literary merit".'
11) ibid.
12) The Preston Guardian, 26 June 1861
13) CLOSE, John, Poet Close's Grand Lake Book (1869), p. vii.
14) CLOSE, John, Once a year, tales and legends of Westmorland, Issue 1 (1862), p.8
15) CLOSE, John, Once a year, tales and legends of Westmorland, Issue 1 (1862), p.14
16) The Preston Guardian, 29 July 1865; issue 2821
17) The Caledonian Mercury, 9 May 1861 - article entitled 'A pensioned "poet", and his "literary merit".'
18) 1871 Census, Kirkby Stephen RG10/5271 F8 P10 S43
19) The Times, 30 Mar 1867, p.5 - letter to the editor
20) The Times, 1 April 1867, p.5 - quoted in a letter to the editor
21) The Standard (London) 6 May 1878, p.3
22) RG11/5156 F135 P19 & 20
23) RG12/4287 F129 P10 and RG12/4287 F134 P19
24) RG11/5156 F134 P17
25) Bulmer's History, Topography and Directory of Westmoreland (1885) p.217
26) The Times, 17 Feb 1891, p.10.
27) Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.
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