William Jeffrey Prowse
William Jeffrey Prowse, often known as Jeff Prowse[1][2][3] (6 May 1839 – 17 April 1870) was an English journalist, poet, humorist and lyricist.
Jeff Prowse | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Jeffrey Prowse 6 May 1839 Torquay, Devon |
| Died | 17 April 1870 (aged 30) Nice, France |
| Occupation | Journalist, poet, humorist and lyricist |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | English |
| Citizenship | Great Britain |
| Subject | Cricket, boat racing |
| Notable works | Chambers' Journal, Ladies' Companion, National Magazine, Aylesbury News, Daily Telegraph |
Family
An only child born in Torquay, Devon, he resided with his uncle, the shipbroker John Sparke Prowse in Greenwich, following the death of his father in 1844 when Prowse aged eight. He inherited literary skills from his mother Marianne Jeffrey – who "contributed to the annuals, and published a volume of poems". She died in 1850.Ashfield, Andrew (1998). Romantic women poets, 1788-1848. Manchester University Press ND. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-7190-5293-4.</ref>
Writings and reputation
Prowse, a "journalist of great brilliancy and power",[4] contributed to Chambers' Journal, Ladies' Companion, National Magazine and the Aylesbury News, before writing for the Daily Telegraph when covering the Oxford Cambridge boat races. Prowse was also noted for his affection for polar expeditions and cricket – and is known for a seven-verse eulogy for Alfred Mynn.[5]
Prowse died in Nice on Easter Day, 17 April 1870.[6] Thomas Hay Sweet Escott called him "the last of the highly-gifted Bohemians of London."[3] The majority of his poems were published after his death in a volume entitled Nicholas Notes edited by Tom Hood,[4] and in 1890 the Nation remembered the work as "yet a delight to the few who recall its pleasant humour."[7]
Notes
- Ainger, Michael (15 October 2002). Gilbert and Sullivan: a dual biography. Oxford University Press US. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-19-514769-8.
- Diehl, Alice Mangold (2009). The True Story of My Life; An Autobiography by Alice M. Diehl, Novelist-Writer-Musician, with a Photogravure Portrait. General Books LLC. p. 112. ISBN 978-1-150-09676-1.
- Escott, Thomas Hay Sweet (28 February 2009). Politics and Letters. BiblioBazaar, LLC. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-103-38197-5.
- Dalziel, George (2009). The Brothers Dalziel. READ BOOKS. p. 288. ISBN 978-1-4446-7291-6.
- Crabbe, George. George Crabbe to Edmund B.v. Christian. Taylor & Francis. p. 491.
- The literary world. James Clarke & Co. 1896.
- The Nation. The Nation Company. 1890.
References
- Major, John (2008). More Than a Game: The Story of Cricket's Early Years. HarperCollins UK. ISBN 978-0-00-718365-4.