fbpx
Wikipedia

George Ashby (poet)

George Ashby (c. 1390–1475) was an English civil servant and poet.

Life edit

He was born about 1390, and was from Warwickshire.[1] He was clerk of the signet, first to Henry VI from the beginning of his reign, and afterwards to Margaret of Anjou, in whose service he evidently travelled abroad. Margaret named him steward of Warwick in 1446.[2] In 1459 he was in Parliament, as member for the borough of Warwick.[3]

Between the summer and 28 September 1462, Ashby started a term in the Fleet Prison to which he was probably confined by the Yorkist conquerors of Henry VI, who was deposed in 1461.[4] Prior to that, the poet would seem to have directed some part of the education of the young Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, Henry VI's son.[4]

He appears to have owned an estate named 'Breakspeares' in Harefield, Middlesex. Ashby died on 20 February 1475, and was buried at Harefield. His son John was also a signet clerk under Henry VI and died in 1496.[4] A grandson George was clerk of the signet to Henry VII and Henry VIII, and died on 5 March 1515.

Works edit

His earliest extant poem, Complaint of a Prisoner in the Fleet, written in English and preserved in manuscript at Trinity College, Cambridge, describes him as a prisoner in the Fleet, and begins with a 'prohemium vnius Prisonarii.' The poem was composed between some time after Michaelmas 1462 and 24 March 1463.[4]

For Prince Edward's use Ashby prepared two English poetical treatises that may have been designed as one poem: one entitled De Activa Pollecia Principis, which opens with an address to 'Maisters Gower, Chaucer, and Lydgate,' and the second called Dicta et Opiniones Diversorum Philosophorum, with translations into English verse. The combined work, Ashby states, was produced when he had attained the age of eighty. The sole manuscript containing these works, Cambridge University Library MS Mm.4.42, passed from the library of John Moore, Bishop of Ely about 1700, to the Cambridge University Library. This manuscript was a holograph written entirely by Ashby.[4]

According to Thomas Warton, Ashby was likewise the translator into English of several French manuals of devotion, ascribed by Robert Copland to Andrew Chertsey in his prologue to Chertsey's Passyon of our Lord Jesu Christ (printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1520): but no authority is given for this statement. None of Ashby's works are known to have been printed.

Notes edit

  1. ^ Griffiths p. 834 note 87.
  2. ^ Griffiths p. 258.
  3. ^ Griffiths p. 785.
  4. ^ a b c d e Sobecki, Sebastian (2019). Last Words: The Public Self and the Social Author in Late Medieval England. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 159–191. doi:10.1093/oso/9780198790778.001.0001. ISBN 9780198790778.

References edit

  • R. A. Griffiths, The Reign of Henry VI (2004)
  • Sebastian Sobecki, Last Words: The Public Self and the Social Author in Late Medieval England (Oxford University Press, 2019). ISBN 978-0-19-879077-8 doi:10.1093/oso/9780198790778.001.0001
Attribution

george, ashby, poet, george, ashby, 1390, 1475, english, civil, servant, poet, contents, life, works, notes, referenceslife, edithe, born, about, 1390, from, warwickshire, clerk, signet, first, henry, from, beginning, reign, afterwards, margaret, anjou, whose,. George Ashby c 1390 1475 was an English civil servant and poet Contents 1 Life 2 Works 3 Notes 4 ReferencesLife editHe was born about 1390 and was from Warwickshire 1 He was clerk of the signet first to Henry VI from the beginning of his reign and afterwards to Margaret of Anjou in whose service he evidently travelled abroad Margaret named him steward of Warwick in 1446 2 In 1459 he was in Parliament as member for the borough of Warwick 3 Between the summer and 28 September 1462 Ashby started a term in the Fleet Prison to which he was probably confined by the Yorkist conquerors of Henry VI who was deposed in 1461 4 Prior to that the poet would seem to have directed some part of the education of the young Edward of Westminster Prince of Wales Henry VI s son 4 He appears to have owned an estate named Breakspeares in Harefield Middlesex Ashby died on 20 February 1475 and was buried at Harefield His son John was also a signet clerk under Henry VI and died in 1496 4 A grandson George was clerk of the signet to Henry VII and Henry VIII and died on 5 March 1515 Works editHis earliest extant poem Complaint of a Prisoner in the Fleet written in English and preserved in manuscript at Trinity College Cambridge describes him as a prisoner in the Fleet and begins with a prohemium vnius Prisonarii The poem was composed between some time after Michaelmas 1462 and 24 March 1463 4 For Prince Edward s use Ashby prepared two English poetical treatises that may have been designed as one poem one entitled De Activa Pollecia Principis which opens with an address to Maisters Gower Chaucer and Lydgate and the second called Dicta et Opiniones Diversorum Philosophorum with translations into English verse The combined work Ashby states was produced when he had attained the age of eighty The sole manuscript containing these works Cambridge University Library MS Mm 4 42 passed from the library of John Moore Bishop of Ely about 1700 to the Cambridge University Library This manuscript was a holograph written entirely by Ashby 4 According to Thomas Warton Ashby was likewise the translator into English of several French manuals of devotion ascribed by Robert Copland to Andrew Chertsey in his prologue to Chertsey s Passyon of our Lord Jesu Christ printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1520 but no authority is given for this statement None of Ashby s works are known to have been printed Notes edit Griffiths p 834 note 87 Griffiths p 258 Griffiths p 785 a b c d e Sobecki Sebastian 2019 Last Words The Public Self and the Social Author in Late Medieval England Oxford Oxford University Press pp 159 191 doi 10 1093 oso 9780198790778 001 0001 ISBN 9780198790778 References editR A Griffiths The Reign of Henry VI 2004 Sebastian Sobecki Last Words The Public Self and the Social Author in Late Medieval England Oxford University Press 2019 ISBN 978 0 19 879077 8 doi 10 1093 oso 9780198790778 001 0001Attribution nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Ashby George d 1475 Dictionary of National Biography London Smith Elder amp Co 1885 1900 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title George Ashby poet amp oldid 1147389834, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.