Oxley

MARY OXLEY (fl. 1650)

Mary Oxley was a poet living in Morpeth. She wrote an 'Encomium' on her friend, the famous Scottish poet William Drummond of Hawthornden, who had died in 1649. This was published, along with his poems, in an edition of 1656 by Thomas Phillips, John Milton's nephew. The preface is modest:

Then do not sparks with your bright suns compare,
Perfection in a woman's work is rare;
From an untroubled mind should verses flow,
My discontents make mine too muddy show,
And hoarse encumbrances of household care;
Where these remain, the Muses ne'er repair.

Phillips, in 1675, mentions her 'many other things in Poetry' but these are not known. It is conceivable that Mary was related to the parish clerk of Morpeth, all of whose sons made their way in the education system. One of his sons Amor Oxley, became headmaster of the Newcastle Grammar School.

Myers Literary Guide:	The North-East
MARY OXLEY (fl. 1650) Mary Oxley was a poet living in Morpeth. She wrote an 'Encomium' on her friend, the famous Scottish poet William Drummond of Hawthornden, who had died in 1649. This was published, along with his poems, in an edition of 1656 by Thomas Phillips, John Milton's nephew. The preface is modest: Then do not sparks with your bright suns compare, Perfection in a woman's work is rare; From an untroubled mind should verses flow, My discontents make mine too muddy show, And hoarse encumbrances of household care; Where these remain, the Muses ne'er repair. Phillips, in 1675, mentions her 'many other things in Poetry' but these are not known. It is conceivable that Mary was related to the parish clerk of Morpeth, all of whose sons made their way in the education system. One of his sons Amor Oxley, became headmaster of the Newcastle Grammar School.
Return to Index	On to next Author