1680

Earl of Rochester, John Wilmot

Categories: Poetry

Poet, wit and courtier. Born Ditchley, Oxfordshire. The picture source website contains an example of his poetry: "Imperfect Enjoyment" - not for the prudish. Died at his grace and favour home at High Lodge, Woodstock, Oxfordshire.

Samuel Johnson on Rochester: "in a course of drunken gaiety and gross sensuality, with intervals of study perhaps yet more criminal, with an avowed contempt of decency and order, a total disregard to every moral, and a resolute denial of every religious observation, he lived worthless and useless, and blazed out his youth and health in lavish voluptuousness".

There seems be a common consensus that Rochester was responsible for the attack on Dryden in 1679 but we are not sure what the evidence is.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Earl of Rochester, John Wilmot

Commemorated ati

John Dryden attacked

Odd that the plaque gives the 19th and not the 18th as the date.

See other memorials in this area

Other Subjects

Sarah Flower Adams

Actress, hymnwriter and poet. Born Sarah Fuller Flower in Old Harlow, Essex. She wrote the words to the hymn 'Nearer, my God, to Thee'. In 1837 she turned to acting, playing several leading roles, ...

Person, Music / songs, Poetry, Theatre

1 memorial

John Masefield

Poet. Born Herefordshire. Orphaned early he was sent to sea, aged 13, to train as an officer and seems to have spent a lot of time reading and writing. Aged 17 he jumped ship in New York where he c...

Person, Poetry, USA

1 memorial

Austin Dobson

Poet and essayist. Born Henry Austin Dobson at Plymouth, Devon. He spent his entire working life at the Board of Trade. His first poems were published in 1868. In 1876 he and a group of other poets...

Person, Literature, Poetry

1 memorial

Matthew Arnold

Poet, writer and school inspector. Born at Laleham-on-Thames, Middlesex, son of Thomas Arnold. He won the Newdigate prize in 1843 with a poem on Cromwell. Appointed a lay inspector of schools in 1...

Person, Education, Poetry, France, Germany, Netherlands

2 memorials

Leigh Hunt

Poet. Born Southgate. Named 'James Henry Leigh Hunt' after the Duke of Chandos, James Henry Leigh, who was employing Hunt's father, a preacher, as tutor to his nephew at the time of Hunt's birth. F...

Person, Literature, Poetry

6 memorials

Previously viewed

William Fawke

Sculptor. He exhibited with the Society of Portrait Sculptors in 1978 and 1979 and had his first solo exhibition in 1982. Amongst his works are statues of Doctor Samuel Johnson and the composer Ral...

Person, Sculpture

1 memorial

Greater London Council

Replaced the LCC. The GLC was abolished, some say, because Mrs Thatcher could not abide its left-wing politics, nor its leader, Ken Livingstone. On its 50th anniversary Diamond Geezer posted a goo...

Group, Politics & Administration

241 memorials

Burma Campaign

Fought in the former British colony of Burma (now Myanmar), primarily between the forces of the British Empire and China, with support from the United States, against the invading forces of Japan, ...

Event, Armed Forces, Burma

1 memorial

Hazel Reeves

Our picture comes from the video of the unveiling of the Gresley statue, on Reeves' website.

Person, Sculpture

1 memorial

Christ Church School - enlarged

SW3, Christchurch Street

The cheerful quotation is from Proverbs 9:10 and also 1:7.

1 subject commemorated

View on map