Eaton Stannard Barrett (1786 – 20 March 1820) was an Irish poet and author of political satires. He also wrote a comic novel: ''The Heroine; or, Adventures of a Fair Romance Reader'' (1813).
Career
Born in
County Cork
County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...
, son of Richard Barrett, gentleman (his mother's identity unknown, but conjectured to be Eleanor Stannard), Barrett attended
Trinity College, Dublin, and studied law at
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...
,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, although he was never called to the bar. His poems, satirising
Whig politics in general and
Lord Grenville's special ministry in particular, went through numerous editions.
[Introduction. in: ''The Heroine, or Adventures of a Fair Romance Reader''. Avril Horner and Sue Zlasnik (eds.) Valancourt Classics 2011]
Barrett's comic
gothic novel
Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror (primarily in the 20th century), is a literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name of the genre is derived from the Renaissance era use of the word "gothic", as a pejorative to mean ...
''
The Heroine'', published in 1813, was an instant success. Further editions quickly followed in 1814 and 1815. Among those who praised the novel at the time was
Jane Austen
Jane Austen ( ; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for #List of works, her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century ...
, who declared herself "very much amused by it" and called it "a delightful burlesque". The ''Critical Review'' described it as "a very spirited and laughable satire upon the various productions and the name of the novel... which have appeared for the last 18 or 19 years." Another critic praised it as "not inferior in wit and humour to ''
Tristram Shandy'', and in point of plot and interest infinitely beyond ''
Don Quixote
, the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...
''."
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
wrote in 1835: "There are few books written with more tact, spirit, naiveté, or grace... and none more fairly entitled to rank among the classics of English literature than the ''Heroine'' of Eaton Stannard Barrett." It was regularly read and reprinted until the early 20th century. After being neglected and out of print for almost a century, it was reissued by
Valancourt Books in 2011.
Despite this literary success, little is known of Barrett's life. He appears to have died of
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
in 1820, and yet he is mentioned as an author in a publication called ''The American Farmer'', printed in
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
and dated 1823.
Given his reported financial difficulties, it is possible, though unproven, that he fled to America to escape his debtors. His death was recorded in ''The Ladies' Monthly Museum'', as having taken place in Glamorgan. The author of a memorial commented: "There are few gentlemen whose private worth gained more esteem, or whose manners possessed more attractions."
In ''Young Ireland: A Fragment of Irish History, 1840–1845. Final Revision'', Charles Gavin Duffy claims that one of
Daniel O'Connell's close allies during the Repeal movement – and his least reputable associate – was Eaton Stannard Barrett's brother
Richard Barrett. Duffy writes that both Richard and Eaton were "Tory newspapermen" and that Richard converted to Repeal and consequently published Dublin's Repeal newspaper ''
The Pilot''.
List of works
*''The Rising Sun: A Serio-Comic Satiric Romance by Cervantes Hogg ''(1807)
*''The Second Titan War Against Heaven ''(1807)
*''All the Talents: A satirical poem in three dialogues'' (1807)
*''"Woman" and other poems ''(1810)
*''The Metropolis; or, a Cure for Gaming'' (published with
Minerva Press under a pseudonym in 1811)
*''The Heroine, or: Adventures of a Fair Romance Reader'' (1813)
*''My Wife, What Wife? ''(1815)
Archives
Manuscript poetry of Eaton Stannard Barrett (c.1809) is held at the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham.
References
*
External links
*
*
"Dead Funny" an essay on "The Heroine" and Eaton Stannard Barrett's life and other works
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrett, Eaton Stannard
1786 births
1820 deaths
19th-century deaths from tuberculosis
Irish barristers
Irish poets
Irish novelists
Irish satirists
Irish parodists
Writers from County Cork
Tuberculosis deaths in Ireland
Writers of Gothic fiction