Thomas Bancroft
Encyclopedia
Thomas Bancroft was a minor seventeenth-century poet who wrote a number of poems and epigrams addressed to notable people into which he embedded clever puns.
, a Derbyshire
village on the River Trent
: he has an epigram in celebration of his father and mother buried in Swarkestone Church. He matriculated at St Catharine's College, Cambridge
in 1613, where he was a contemporary of James Shirley
, to whom he addresses an epigram. He was an usher (a junior grammar school master who taught the rudiments of Latin to 7 to 10 year-old students) at Market Bosworth grammar school
in Leicestershire, a position he acquired through his connection with Sir John Harpur of Swarkestone, who was related to the family of Wolstan Dixie
, the school's founder. In 1626 he married Rebecca Errington, a widow from Osgathorpe
. Bancroft's sister, Elizabeth, had married a John Errington in 1621, perhaps the brother of Rebecca's husband.
Bancroft had apparently only a younger son's fortune, his elder brother died in 1639, having broken up the little family-property. He seems to have lived for some time in his native Derbyshire, where Sir Aston Cockayne
, as a neighbour and fellow-poet, appears to have visited and been visited by him. On the evidence of one of his own epigrams and Sir Aston Cockayne's commendatory lines, in 1658 he was living in retirement at Bradley
, near Ashbourne
, Derbyshire. He continued there until his death, recorded in the church register there. It was said that Bancroft was 'small of stature', and that he published sermons. He was referred to as 'the small poet,' partly in reference to his stature, and partly in allusion to his small poems.
stature as it does on Ben Jonson's
obesity, George Chapman's
appearance, and Francis Beaumont's
family connexions:
Bancroft's next and better-known book was his Two Bookes of Epigrammes and Epitaphes. Dedicated to two top-branches of Gentry: Sir Charles Shirley, Baronet, and William Davenport, Esquire (1639). These epigrams were quoted partly because of the notability of the people they celebrate. The names include Philip Sidney
, Shakespeare, Ben Jonson
, John Donne
, Thomas Overbury
, John Ford
, Francis Quarles
, Thomas Randolph
and Shirley. Several examples show his propensity to punning:
In 1649 Bancroft contributed to Alexander Brome
's Lachrymce Musarum, or the Teares of the Muses, a poem To the never-dying memory of the noble Lord Hastings.
Finally he published, in 1658, The Heroical Lover, or Antheon and Fidelta, and the collection of verse Times out of Tune, Plaid upon However in XX Satyres. This last is a series of moralizing satirical poems directed against (inter alia) whoring
, gluttony
, alcoholism
, hedonism
, lying
, pride in clothing
, false friends
, ambition, cowardice
, cruelty
, and the abuse of poetry
. Full of invective, the subjects Bancroft chose for this collection seem to leave few aspects of life to enjoy.
Thomas Corser
wrote: There is a smoothness and grace, as well as force and propriety, in Bancroft's poetical language, which have not, as we think, been sufficiently noticed.
Life
Thomas Bancroft was a native of SwarkestoneSwarkestone
Swarkestone is a village and civil parish in Derbyshire, England.Swarkestone has a very old village church, a full cricket pitch, the Crewe and Harpur pub, a canal with locks, moorings and canalside tea-rooms...
, a Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
village on the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
: he has an epigram in celebration of his father and mother buried in Swarkestone Church. He matriculated at St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St. Catharine’s College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1473, the college is often referred to informally by the nickname "Catz".-History:...
in 1613, where he was a contemporary of James Shirley
James Shirley
James Shirley was an English dramatist.He belonged to the great period of English dramatic literature, but, in Lamb's words, he "claims a place among the worthies of this period, not so much for any transcendent genius in himself, as that he was the last of a great race, all of whom spoke nearly...
, to whom he addresses an epigram. He was an usher (a junior grammar school master who taught the rudiments of Latin to 7 to 10 year-old students) at Market Bosworth grammar school
Dixie Grammar School
Dixie Grammar School is a school in Market Bosworth, Leicestershire. It is next door to the high school Market Bosworth High School.The earliest records of the School's existence date from 1320, but the school was re-founded in 1601 under the will of an Elizabethan merchant and Lord Mayor of...
in Leicestershire, a position he acquired through his connection with Sir John Harpur of Swarkestone, who was related to the family of Wolstan Dixie
Wolstan Dixie
Sir Wolstan Dixie, , was a merchant and administrator, and Lord Mayor of London in 1585.-Life:He was the son of Thomas Dixie and Anne Jephson, who lived at Catworth in Huntingdonshire. Wolstan was the fourth son of his father, and went into business...
, the school's founder. In 1626 he married Rebecca Errington, a widow from Osgathorpe
Osgathorpe
Osgathorpe is a small village which lies in a fold of the hills in North West Leicestershire, England, and is about a quarter of a mile the A512 Coalville to Loughborough Road....
. Bancroft's sister, Elizabeth, had married a John Errington in 1621, perhaps the brother of Rebecca's husband.
Bancroft had apparently only a younger son's fortune, his elder brother died in 1639, having broken up the little family-property. He seems to have lived for some time in his native Derbyshire, where Sir Aston Cockayne
Aston Cockayne
Sir Aston Cockayne, Baronet of Ashbourne was, in his day, a well-known Cavalier and a minor literary figure, now best remembered as a friend of Philip Massinger, John Fletcher, Michael Drayton, Richard Brome, Thomas Randolph, and other writers of his generation.-Biography:Aston Cockayne was the...
, as a neighbour and fellow-poet, appears to have visited and been visited by him. On the evidence of one of his own epigrams and Sir Aston Cockayne's commendatory lines, in 1658 he was living in retirement at Bradley
Bradley, Derbyshire
Bradley is a parish in Derbyshire just to the east of Ashbourne. Other neighbouring parishes include Hulland and Yeldersley.The parish church of All Saints is 14th century, with an aisleless nave and chancel, but no tower. There was an 18th century wooden bell-turret, but this has been removed...
, near Ashbourne
Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Ashbourne is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales, England. It has a population of 10,302.The town advertises itself as 'The Gateway to Dovedale'.- Local customs :...
, Derbyshire. He continued there until his death, recorded in the church register there. It was said that Bancroft was 'small of stature', and that he published sermons. He was referred to as 'the small poet,' partly in reference to his stature, and partly in allusion to his small poems.
Work
Bancroft's first publication was The Glvtton's Feaver (1633), a narrative poem in seven-line stanzas of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Prefixed to that work is a poem that perhaps puns on William Shakespeare'sWilliam Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
stature as it does on Ben Jonson's
Ben Jonson
Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
obesity, George Chapman's
George Chapman
George Chapman was an English dramatist, translator, and poet. He was a classical scholar, and his work shows the influence of Stoicism. Chapman has been identified as the Rival Poet of Shakespeare's Sonnets by William Minto, and as an anticipator of the Metaphysical Poets...
appearance, and Francis Beaumont's
Francis Beaumont
Francis Beaumont was a dramatist in the English Renaissance theatre, most famous for his collaborations with John Fletcher....
family connexions:
-
- But the chast bay not euery songster weares,
- Nor of Appollo's sonnes prooue all his heires:
- 'Tis not for all to reach at Shakespeares height,
- Or thinke to grow to solid Iohnsons weight,
- To bid so faire as Chapman for a fame,
- Or match (your family) the Beaumonts name.
Bancroft's next and better-known book was his Two Bookes of Epigrammes and Epitaphes. Dedicated to two top-branches of Gentry: Sir Charles Shirley, Baronet, and William Davenport, Esquire (1639). These epigrams were quoted partly because of the notability of the people they celebrate. The names include Philip Sidney
Philip Sidney
Sir Philip Sidney was an English poet, courtier and soldier, and is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan Age...
, Shakespeare, Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson
Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
, John Donne
John Donne
John Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
, Thomas Overbury
Thomas Overbury
Sir Thomas Overbury was an English poet and essayist, and the victim of one of the most sensational crimes in English history...
, John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
, Francis Quarles
Francis Quarles
Francis Quarles was an English poet most famous for his Emblem book aptly entitled Emblems.-Career:Francis was born in Romford, Essex, , and baptised there on 8 May 1592. He traced his ancestry to a family settled in England before the Norman Conquest with a long history in royal service...
, Thomas Randolph
Thomas Randolph
Thomas Randolph may refer to:* Thomas Randolph * Thomas Randolph , English poet and dramatist* Thomas Randolph , Virginia politician...
and Shirley. Several examples show his propensity to punning:
-
- 118. To Shakespeare.
- Thy Muses sugred dainties seeme to us
- Like the fam’d apples of old Tantalus :
- For we (admiring) see and heare they straines,
- But none I see or heare those sweets attaines.
-
- 119. To the same.
- Thou hast so us'd thy Pen (or shooke thy Speare)
- That Poets startle, nor thy wit come near.
-
- 136. To Dr. Donne.
- Thy muses gallantry doth farre exceed
- All ours; to whom thou art a Don indeed.
-
- 192. To John Ford the Poet.
- The Verse must needs be current (at a word)
- That issues from a sweet and fluent Ford.
In 1649 Bancroft contributed to Alexander Brome
Alexander Brome
Alexander Brome was an English poet.He was by profession an attorney, and was the author of many drinking songs and of satirical verses in favor of the Royalists and in opposition to the Rump Parliament...
's Lachrymce Musarum, or the Teares of the Muses, a poem To the never-dying memory of the noble Lord Hastings.
Finally he published, in 1658, The Heroical Lover, or Antheon and Fidelta, and the collection of verse Times out of Tune, Plaid upon However in XX Satyres. This last is a series of moralizing satirical poems directed against (inter alia) whoring
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, gluttony
Gluttony
Gluttony, derived from the Latin gluttire meaning to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, intoxicants or wealth items to the point of extravagance or waste...
, alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, hedonism
Hedonism
Hedonism is a school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure .-Etymology:The name derives from the Greek word for "delight" ....
, lying
Lie
For other uses, see Lie A lie is a type of deception in the form of an untruthful statement, especially with the intention to deceive others....
, pride in clothing
Vanity
In conventional parlance, vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others. Prior to the 14th century it did not have such narcissistic undertones, and merely meant futility. The related term vainglory is now often seen as an archaic synonym for vanity, but...
, false friends
Betrayal
Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations...
, ambition, cowardice
Cowardice
Cowardice is the perceived failure to demonstrate sufficient mental robustness and courage in the face of a challenge. Under many military codes of justice, cowardice in the face of combat is a crime punishable by death...
, cruelty
Cruelty
Cruelty can be described as indifference to suffering, and even positive pleasure in inflicting it. If this is supported by a legal or social framework, then receives the name of perversion. Sadism can also be related to this form of action or concept....
, and the abuse of poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. Full of invective, the subjects Bancroft chose for this collection seem to leave few aspects of life to enjoy.
Thomas Corser
Thomas Corser
Thomas Corser was a British literary scholar and Church of England clergyman. He was the editor of Collectanea Anglo-Poetica.-Life:...
wrote: There is a smoothness and grace, as well as force and propriety, in Bancroft's poetical language, which have not, as we think, been sufficiently noticed.