William Edmondstoune Aytoun was a 19th century Scottish poet, translator and lawyer who was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is often referred to as ‘the first modern professor of English literature". He was born on the 21st June 1813 in Edinburgh and his father, Roger Aytoun, held the privileged legal position of writer to the signet. This meant ...
William Cosmo Monkhouse was an English poet, novelist and art critic who also had a career in the civil service, rising to the position of assistant-secretary to the finance department at the Board of Trade. He was born on the 18th March 1840 in London, the son of a solicitor. After attending St Paul’s School up to the age of seventeen he began employment as a ...
William Ross Wallace was a 19th century American poet and lawyer of Scottish origins who, during the 1860s, produced a piece of work called The Hand That Rocks The Cradle Is The Hand That Rules The World. This was the poem that made his name and it is still well known today. The story which sings the praises of motherhood was adapted for a Hollywood ...
William Percy French was an Irish poet, song writer and watercolour artist. He is best known for his jaunty songs, the most famous probably being Abdul Abulbul Amir. He performed many of them himself on the stage, thus making him one of the most popular entertainers of the late 19th century. He was born on the 1st May 1854 at Cloonyquin House which is ...
William Ellery Leonard was an American poet and translator of epic works such as Beowulf and classical pieces by Lucretius and Aesop. He also served time as assistant professor of English at Wisconsin university and was well-known as a literary scholar. He was born William Ellery Channing Leonard on the 25th January 1876 in Plainfield, New Jersey. His parents were great admirers of the ...
