John Wolcot (baptised 9 May 1738 – 14 January 1819) was an English satirist, poet, physician, and clergyman, best known under his pseudonym Peter Pindar.
Life
Wolcot was baptised at Dodbrooke, near Kingsbridge, Devon, England. He was educated by an uncle and received his M.D. from Aberdeen University. In 1767, he travelled to Jamaica as physician to Sir William Trelawny, the Governor of Jamaica. He returned to England in 1769, took holy orders in the Church of England, and went back to Jamaica, where he served as a clergyman. After Sir William's death in 1772, Wolcot returned to England, abandoned the Church, and resumed his medical career, settling in practice at Truro, Cornwall. There he discovered and mentored the painter John Opie.
In 1780, Wolcot moved to London and began writing satires. His early targets were members of the Royal Academy. He soon turned his satirical attention to higher figures, most notably King George III and Queen Charlotte. Between 1785 and 1796, he published The Lousiad: a Heroi-Comic Poem in five cantos, based on a legend that a louse had once appeared on the King's dinner plate. Other frequent subjects of his satire included James Boswell, James Bruce, Hannah More, and Bishop Porteus.
Wolcot also became an important figure in the London art world as a patron of John Opie and later of Richard Morton Paye.
Works and Style
Wolcot's writing was noted for its humour, wit, and sharpness, which could sting its subjects deeply. He also wrote ballads displaying unexpected gentleness and tenderness, such as The Beggar Man and Lord Gregory. Among his notable works are:
- Lyric Odes to the Royal Academicians (1782–1783)
- The Lousiad (1785–1795)
- Bozzy and Piozzi (1786)
- The Carlton House Fete (1811), a satirical poem responding to the lavish Regency-era celebration
The composer Joseph Haydn drew on Wolcot's ode To My Candle for his cantata Der Sturm, composed during Haydn's visit to London in 1791–1792.
Death
Wolcot died at his home in Latham Place (now part of Churchway), Somers Town, London, on 14 January 1819, at the age of 80. He was buried in a vault in the churchyard of St Paul's, Covent Garden.
