John Herman Merivale
Encyclopedia
John Herman Merivale was an English barrister
and man of letters.
, and Bedford Square
, London, by Ann Katencamp or Katenkamp, daughter of a German merchant settled in Exeter, and was born in that city on 5 August 1779. The grandson of Samuel Merivale (1715–1771), tutor in a local dissenting academy in Exeter, he was brought up a presbyterian. He spent some years at St. John's College, Cambridge, but left without taking a degree. In later life he conformed to the Church of England.
On 17 December 1798 he entered Lincoln's Inn
, where he was called to the bar in Hilary term 1804. He practised in chancery and bankruptcy, and published ‘Reports of Cases argued and determined in the High Court of Chancery,’ London, 1817–19. He sat on the Chancery Commission of 1824, in the report of which he concurred, but expounded a wider scheme of reform in A Letter to William Courtenay, Esq., on the Subject of the Chancery Commission, London, 1827.
On 2 December 1831 he was appointed to a commissionership in bankruptcy, which he held until his death, on 25 April 1844. He was buried in the churchyard, Hampstead
.
, founded on the ‘Morgante Maggiore’ of Luigi Pulci
, and in 1820 a free translation in the same metre of the first and third cantos of Niccolò Fortiguerra's Ricciardetto.
An edition of his ‘Poems, Original and Translated,’ appeared in 1838, London, 2 vols., which includes also a continuation of Beattie's ‘Minstrel,’ some translations from Dante, and other miscellanea. When past middle age he learned German, and shortly before his death published translations, partly reprinted from the New Monthly Magazine for 1840, of ‘The Minor Poems of Schiller of the Second and Third Periods,’ London, 1844.
Merivale was a friend of Lord Byron, who praised his translations from the Greek and his ‘Orlando in Roncesvalles’. He was a frequent contributor to the Quarterly Review
and other reviews and periodicals. In 1837–8 he published in the Gentleman's Magazine letters by Walter Moyle
.
, by whom he had six sons and six daughters. His two eldest sons were Herman Merivale
and Charles Merivale
.
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and man of letters.
Life
He was the only son of John Merivale of Barton Place, ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, and Bedford Square
Bedford Square
Bedford Square is a square in the Bloomsbury district of the Borough of Camden in London, England.Built between 1775 and 1783 as an upper middle class residential area, the sqare has had many distinguished residents, including Lord Eldon, one of Britain's longest serving and most celebrated Lord...
, London, by Ann Katencamp or Katenkamp, daughter of a German merchant settled in Exeter, and was born in that city on 5 August 1779. The grandson of Samuel Merivale (1715–1771), tutor in a local dissenting academy in Exeter, he was brought up a presbyterian. He spent some years at St. John's College, Cambridge, but left without taking a degree. In later life he conformed to the Church of England.
On 17 December 1798 he entered Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
, where he was called to the bar in Hilary term 1804. He practised in chancery and bankruptcy, and published ‘Reports of Cases argued and determined in the High Court of Chancery,’ London, 1817–19. He sat on the Chancery Commission of 1824, in the report of which he concurred, but expounded a wider scheme of reform in A Letter to William Courtenay, Esq., on the Subject of the Chancery Commission, London, 1827.
On 2 December 1831 he was appointed to a commissionership in bankruptcy, which he held until his death, on 25 April 1844. He was buried in the churchyard, Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
.
Works
In 1811 he published, at the request of the Society for the Diffusion of Knowledge respecting the Punishment of Death and the Improvement of Prison Discipline, ‘A Brief Statement of the Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament in the Last and Present Sessions upon the several Bills introduced with a view to the Amendment of the Criminal Law: together with a General Review of the Arguments used in the Debates upon those occasions,’ London. He was Robert Bland's principal collaborator in his ‘Collections from the Greek Anthology and from the Pastoral, Elegiac, and Dramatic Poets of Greece,’ London, 1813, In 1814 he published ‘Orlando in Roncesvalles,’ London, a poem in ottava rimaOttava rima
Ottava rima is a rhyming stanza form of Italian origin. Originally used for long poems on heroic themes, it later came to be popular in the writing of mock-heroic works. Its earliest known use is in the writings of Giovanni Boccaccio....
, founded on the ‘Morgante Maggiore’ of Luigi Pulci
Luigi Pulci
Luigi Pulci was an Italian poet best known for his Morgante, an epic story of a giant who is converted to Christianity and follows the knight Orlando....
, and in 1820 a free translation in the same metre of the first and third cantos of Niccolò Fortiguerra's Ricciardetto.
An edition of his ‘Poems, Original and Translated,’ appeared in 1838, London, 2 vols., which includes also a continuation of Beattie's ‘Minstrel,’ some translations from Dante, and other miscellanea. When past middle age he learned German, and shortly before his death published translations, partly reprinted from the New Monthly Magazine for 1840, of ‘The Minor Poems of Schiller of the Second and Third Periods,’ London, 1844.
Merivale was a friend of Lord Byron, who praised his translations from the Greek and his ‘Orlando in Roncesvalles’. He was a frequent contributor to the Quarterly Review
Quarterly Review
The Quarterly Review was a literary and political periodical founded in March 1809 by the well known London publishing house John Murray. It ceased publication in 1967.-Early years:...
and other reviews and periodicals. In 1837–8 he published in the Gentleman's Magazine letters by Walter Moyle
Walter Moyle
Walter Moyle was an English politician and political writer, an advocate of classical republicanism.-Life:He was born at Bake in St Germans, Cornwall, on 3 November 1672, the third, but eldest surviving son of Sir Walter Moyle, who died in September 1701, by his wife Thomasine, daughter of Sir...
.
Family
Merivale married, on 10 July 1805, Louisa Heath, daughter of Joseph DruryJoseph Drury
Joseph Drury was Head Master of Harrow School 1785–1805, and first of a dynasty of Drurys to teach at Harrow.He married Louisa Heath, from whose brother Benjamin Heath, he took over the head mastership of Harrow in 1785. His brother Mark Drury was Second Master at Harrow...
, by whom he had six sons and six daughters. His two eldest sons were Herman Merivale
Herman Merivale
Herman Merivale CB was an English civil servant and historian. He was the elder brother of Charles Merivale, and father of the poet Herman Charles Merivale....
and Charles Merivale
Charles Merivale
The Very Reverend Charles Merivale was an English historian and churchman, for many years dean of Ely Cathedral...
.