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Thomas Chatterton The Poet
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The Aim of the
Chatterton Manuscript Project
To Present Images of all
Chattertonian Manuscripts
& First Printings
Always the Source
Never the Interpretation
That being said
I listened as Prof. Nick Groom
Recited & Explained an African Eclogue
By Chatterton - A true delight!
And an eye opener!
Join me and Fulfil the Promise
Of the Thomas Chatterton
Manuscript Project.
Do you Know Anything...
...of the Chatterton Story?
I know it is full of confusion
and conflicting views!
And I know he did forgeries
and died in London.
The End & The Beginning...
..and so to bed,
where I lay my head,
Never to rise again!
On the night of the 24th August 1770,
Chatterton laid his head
On the pillow of his pallet bed
He was 12 weeks short
Of his 18th birthday!
But that is not the end
Not even close to the end:-
In fact it was the start of it all!
Chatterton became famously famous
Dozens of books were writ
Plays were played from Spain to France
Paintings were painted
Engravings were, well, engraved
Pots were turned -it's true, I have one
& Handkerchiefs were printed
Chatterton was the Talk of the Town
and Country (magazine)
His story went viral worldwide
Impossible!
A Poor Uneducated Working Class
Charity School Boy Pfft!
Produce such works - What!
Impossible!
He became the Darling of the Romantics
A true Influencer of his own times & beyond.
He Created a Medieval world
Complete with Buildings
& Heroes and Villains &
Adapted the English language
To suit his new World
All without the Help of
RPG or CGI
Whatever that is!
Although he did have a candle
For those dark evenings
More importantly he was
A Mother's Son
A Cheeky Monkey
A Sister's Brother
A Bristowyan
A Poet!
A Wit.
One of Chatterton's
Most Famous Works
Bristows Tragedy or
The Death of Sr Charles Bawdin
Was published in the 1776 edition of
The Annual Register
The American Declaration of Independence.
Appeared in the Same Volume.
A Review of Chatterton's Life & Works
Bristows Tragedy
A total of 21 pages for Chatterton.
The Article Covering
The Declaration of Independence
A total of only 10 pages.
A Silly but Fun Fact!
Bristows Tragedy or the Death of Sr Charles Bawdin.
Composed by Chatterton in 1768.
Is this the original manuscript or a copy?
A good one to investigate & research
_edited.jpg)
From Old Ballads 1784
Published as 'Rowlie's'
(With no mention of Chatterton)
Thomas Chatterton
Was A loving Son and Brother,
With an "Accelerated Mentality"
(a 1920s Bristolian phrase?).
It is clear that our Working-Class Lad had
Exceptional and Extraordinary Abilities
But we should also note that
His life is as important as his works
For to truly appreciate the song,
You must also appreciate the singer!
It is time to reclaim Chatterton
An amazing young poet,
Storyteller, Journalist,
Playwright, Wit
&
A bit of a Wag
A villain with wings