Jacob Allestry was an English poetical writer and contributor to Oxford period poetry anthologies

Oxford period poetry anthologies

These are Oxford poetry anthologies of English poetry, which select from a given period. See also The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse.-New Oxford Book of Seventeenth-Century Verse :Edited by Alastair Fowler...

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Biography

He was the son of James Allestry, a bookseller who lost his property in the great fire, was born in 1653. After being educated at Westminster

Westminster

Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...

 he proceeded to Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...

, in 1671; was ‘music-reader in 1679 and terræ filius in 1682.’ He had the ‘chief hand,’ according to Anthony à Wood, in composing the ‘Verses and Pastoral’ spoken in Oxford Theatre on 21 May 1681, before James, Duke of York, and published in Examen Poeticum, 1693. From the same authority we learn that ‘being exceedingly given to the vices of poets his body was so much macerated and spent by juvenile extravagance that he retired to an obscure house in Fish Row, in St. Thomas' parish, in the suburb of Oxon

Oxon

Oxon may refer to:* Oxon, England, short for Oxonia , a county in the United Kingdom* Oxon , an organic compound* Universitas Oxoniensis, the University of Oxford...

, which was inhabited by a nurse or tender of sick people, where, continuing incognito about seven weeks, he died in a poor condition and of a loathsome disease on Friday, 15 October 1686.’