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Samuel Marsh Oram was born in Shaftesbury Dorset in 1765 . He died in his 26th
year, in 1791. He was an Attorney at Law, an artist (topographer and drawer) and a poet. His topographical drawings, such as his "View of Shaftesbury" (which was engraved) were much admired.
WRITTEN IN ST. JOHN 'S
CHURCH-YARD, SHAFTESBURY.
What ample scenes and prospects lie around,
That rich with nature's vivid beauties glow!
The eye delighted views the vale below,
Whose wide extent the azure mountains bound.
Innumerous fields, and woods, of darker shade,
And villages diversify the view;
Obedient all combine, to fancy's aid;
Each varied object, and each varied hue.
But turn thine eye where sorrow's faded form
Leans o'er the narrow mansions of the dead,
And mourns the ills of many a bitter storm,
The fate of friends from her embraces fled!
Fair mourner cease ! Death hovers o'er the scene,
To close thy weeping eyes on every thing terrene!
On Samuel Marsh Oram, by Reverend Percival Stockdale:
"That most amiable young man was born at Shaftesbury, in Dorsetshire ; where he
passed his life ; which, unfortunately to his friends, and to the publick,
terminated, in his twenty-sixth year, and in 1791. During the time of his
clerkship to an attorney, he acquitted himself, in that station, with
diligence, and fidelity ; — and for the few years of his own practice in his
profession, he was loved, and esteemed by all persons with whom he was
connected, for industrious application ; and for the mildness, and integrity of
his manners. Great were the obstacles to the spirit, and flow of poetry, with
which, I trust, the judicious, and generous reader will allow that the
following poems are animated, and characterized.
I doubt not that Shaftesbury has its lovers of literature;
it's men of critical judgement, and taste ; from whom our poet might receive
useful information ; and whose influence might give a strong impulse of
intellectual activity to a youthful, and ardent mind. But he had not the good
fortune to be educated at one of our two most respectable, and great
universities".
Concerning Oram, it was said that “the beautiful and romantic scenes in the environs of his native town were his poetical academy, his tutor the genius of the groves, &c.; he had made great progress in the art of drawing, and his " View of Shaftesbury " was engraved and much admired”.
OLD SHAFTESBURY AND ORAM. The Rev. S. E. V. FILLEUL showed a fine aquatint engraving of Shaftesbury, and read the following interesting note on an artistic and poetical celebrity of Shaftesbury in the 18th century :
This old aquatint, by Pollard and Jukes, very scarce in colours, has some interest in being, I believe, the only view of any consequence published of Shaftesbury. It is taken from the west, i.e., from the Dorchester or Blandford side. At the time of its publication, 1785, this old royal city was of greater importance than now, but ignobly famous for the bribery and corruption of its elections. Hutchins gives a long account of the celebrated petitions of that time, the result being, in the case of one displaced member, fines amounting to 12,000. The picture has additional interest in being the copy of a drawing by Mr. Samuel Marsh Oram, a solicitor of the town, who died before reaching the age of 26. Mr. Ehlvers, the Rector of Shaftesbury, has kindly given me the record of his baptism from the registers.
He is entered as the son of an Archelaus Oram, baptised October llth, 1765. He also tells me that the name of the present town crier is Mr. W. S. Oram. Hutchins mentions that the artist of this picture was celebrated as the author of a little collection of sonnets and odes ; this was published by Percival Stockdale in quarto in 1791, after the premature death of the author. By the kindness of Mr. H. C. Forrester, of Shaftesbury, I am able to exhibit a copy of this collection. There is an extravagant and laudatory introduction of 12 pages to the 13 pieces by Mr. Stockdale, with allusions to Parnassus, Demosthenes, etc., prefaced by four lines of epitaph :
" The sylvan nymphs with flowers adorned his hearse,
Ere time and culture had matured his verse ;
Yet had his breast inhaled Sol's purest ray,
His morn of life announced a beauteous day."
The odes are addressed to the nightingale, the redbreast, the wood lark, morning, evening, night, etc. Two are of local interest to the River Stour, with allusion to Fielding; and another upon Eastbury, the huge mansion of Bubb Dodington.
About 500 copies were subscribed for, and the book was considered worthy of a pretty vignette by Stothard. I cannot be audacious enough to question the opinion of such a literary celebrity as Percival Stockdale on the merits of the poetry. On page 5 of the introduction it is stated that the beautiful and
romantic scenes in the environs of his native town were his poetical academy his tutor the genius of the groves, etc., and it mentions in this connection that he had made great progress in the art of drawing, and that his " View of Shaftesbury " was engraved and much admired. I have gathered these few notes of "In
Memoriam," thinking that some of our Members would appreciate this bringing together of the finest samples of the brush and pen of a little known Dorset artist and poet.
from Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, Volume 28, 1907
On Pollard and Jukes (engravings and aquatints)
On Samuel Marsh Oram
"The poems of Oram were published, with an introduction, in 1794, by the late Reverend Percival Stockdale, at the request of Mr. Loggan, who was a friend of the deceased poet".
Concerning Oram, it was said that “the beautiful and romantic scenes in the environs of his native town were his poetical academy, his tutor the genius of the groves, &c.; he had made great progress in the art of drawing, and his " View of Shaftesbury " was engraved and much admired”.
This old aquatint, by Pollard and Jukes, very scarce in colours, has some interest in being, I believe, the only view of any consequence published of Shaftesbury. It is taken from the west, i.e., from the Dorchester or Blandford side. At the time of its publication, 1785, this old royal city was of greater importance than now, but ignobly famous for the bribery and corruption of its elections. Hutchins gives a long account of the celebrated petitions of that time, the result being, in the case of one displaced member, fines amounting to 12,000. The picture has additional interest in being the copy of a drawing by Mr. Samuel Marsh Oram, a solicitor of the town, who died before reaching the age of 26. Mr. Ehlvers, the Rector of Shaftesbury, has kindly given me the record of his baptism from the registers.
He is entered as the son of an Archelaus Oram, baptised October llth, 1765. He also tells me that the name of the present town crier is Mr. W. S. Oram. Hutchins mentions that the artist of this picture was celebrated as the author of a little collection of sonnets and odes ; this was published by Percival Stockdale in quarto in 1791, after the premature death of the author. By the kindness of Mr. H. C. Forrester, of Shaftesbury, I am able to exhibit a copy of this collection. There is an extravagant and laudatory introduction of 12 pages to the 13 pieces by Mr. Stockdale, with allusions to Parnassus, Demosthenes, etc., prefaced by four lines of epitaph :
" The sylvan nymphs with flowers adorned his hearse,
Ere time and culture had matured his verse ;
Yet had his breast inhaled Sol's purest ray,
His morn of life announced a beauteous day."
The odes are addressed to the nightingale, the redbreast, the wood lark, morning, evening, night, etc. Two are of local interest to the River Stour, with allusion to Fielding; and another upon Eastbury, the huge mansion of Bubb Dodington.
About 500 copies were subscribed for, and the book was considered worthy of a pretty vignette by Stothard. I cannot be audacious enough to question the opinion of such a literary celebrity as Percival Stockdale on the merits of the poetry. On page 5 of the introduction it is stated that the beautiful and
romantic scenes in the environs of his native town were his poetical academy his tutor the genius of the groves, etc., and it mentions in this connection that he had made great progress in the art of drawing, and that his " View of Shaftesbury " was engraved and much admired. I have gathered these few notes of "In
Memoriam," thinking that some of our Members would appreciate this bringing together of the finest samples of the brush and pen of a little known Dorset artist and poet.
from Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, Volume 28, 1907
On Pollard and Jukes (engravings and aquatints)
On Samuel Marsh Oram
"The poems of Oram were published, with an introduction, in 1794, by the late Reverend Percival Stockdale, at the request of Mr. Loggan, who was a friend of the deceased poet".
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