James Woodhouse was baptised on 18 April 1735 at St. Giles’ Church, Rowley Regis, Staffordshire. He was the eldest son of Joseph and Mary Woodhouse (neé Bridgwater), freeholders who worked a small farm that had been in the family for over three centuries, and one of at least five (and possibly six) children. Taught to read and write at school, Woodhouse’s formal education nonetheless ended at the age of just eight. Growing to six feet six inches in height, on 7 January 1760 he married Hannah Fletcher (the daughter of Thomas and Catherine Fletcher, and later the “Daphne” of his poems). The Staffordshire Parish Registers appear to record that the couple had six children, although at least one more, Martha, was born elsewhere before being buried in Staffordshire after her death at…
5046 words
Citation: Van-Hagen, Stephen. "James Woodhouse". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 March 2007; last revised 02 March 2022. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=11775, accessed 12 December 2024.]