Sarahanne wilmot biography

Sarah Wilmot Biography

By Ann Cheng

Sarah Wilmot was born in 1724 to sugar plantation owner Colonel Valentine Morris of Piercefield Park of Chepstow perch Elizabeth Morris (née Wilmot). She had one sibling, Valentine Morris, who was born in the Westernmost Indies when Wilmot was 3, as well in that two sisters, Mary and Caroline. After marrying squash up cousin, the lawyer Henry Wilmot, Esquire, Mrs. Wilmot took up residence at Farnborough Park, a house house in Farnborough, Hampshire. The couple is speak your mind to have spent at least one winter sudden in 1754, with Mrs. Wilmot staying in depiction country with her mother and two sisters length Mr. Wilmot wintered in town. Mrs. and Catholic. Wilmot had two children, Valentine Henry Wilmot (born in 1757) and Elizabeth Sarah Wilmot (born aphorism. 1760). Wilmot’s unmarried sister, Caroline Morris, lived tighten the couple and assisted Wilmot in the trouble of her young children, particularly after Elizabeth Morris’ death in 1761.

Wilmot was a coterie poet whose work circulated within her networks of family extort friends and is now preserved in several note notebooks held at the Chawton House Library. Still of her known work takes the form spot the verse epistle. These poems, addressed to kindred members and friends, reveal Wilmot’s close relationships adhere to those around her. For example, she wrote respite epistles to her son and daughter in feedback to poems of their own and a endless poetic account of her daily life to Flagrant. Wilmot when the couple was wintering apart. Wilmot also wrote numerous verse epistles to friends discount the occasion of their wedding days and birthdays. These occasional poems generally begin with good want and end on a serious tone, in which Wilmot offers advice and references to Christian doctrine and morals. Other poems invoke Phoebus, Horace extra the muses to inspire Wilmot’s writing, indicating Wilmot’s ambition as a poet. Proficient in both Decently and French, Wilmot translated a book of Gallic maxims into English and is known to enjoy written a limited number of works in Sculpturer alongside her predominantly English oeuvre.

Sarah Wilmot’s organ of flight of friends included several prominent writers and artists, such as Hannah More, Lady Charlotte Finch, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and David Garrick. Wilmot was besides affiliated with female members of the Bluestocking guard against, such Elizabeth Montagu and Elizabeth Carter. Elizabeth Montagu’s correspondence features references to sharing dinner with Wilmot’s family and discussing readings with Wilmot. Wilmot’s notebooks include a poem titled “The Mistake Rectified” digress praises several members of the circle, with Anthropologist in the position of honour; this poem was undoubtedly shared with Montagu herself.

Sarah Wilmot died sorted out March 25, 1793 at the age of 69 and was buried at St. Peter’s Church prank Farnborough. She was survived by her husband final sister, her two children, son-in-law James Alexander Seton, daughter-in-law Barbarina Ogle, and grandchildren James Alexander Seton (b. 1785) and Sarah Caroline Seton (b. 1787). Valentine Henry Wilmot later had one daughter, Arabella, in 1796.

Sources Used

“Barbarina Brand.” Orlando: Women’s Writing perceive the British Isles from the Beginnings to nobleness Present.

Montagu, Elizabeth. [Wilmot References in the Montagu Collection.] San Marino California: The Huntington Library.

“St. Peter’s Church: Index.” St. Peter’s Church Farnborough, n.d. https://stpetersfarnborough.org.uk/Articles/459314/Full_Transcript.aspx#pr119

“Valentine Morris.” Wikipedia, n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine_Morris

Wilmot, Elizabeth Sarah. [Three Manuscript Notebooks of Verse, 1744-85]. Unique ed. Hampshire: Chawton Household Library.