CHATTERTON, Thomas, English poet: b. Bristol, 20 Nov. 1752; d. there, 25 Aug. 1770. At about 10 years of age he acquired a taste for reading, which became a ruling passion. Melancholy gave way to vivacity and vanity, and dreams of immortality. His father had accidentally obtained possession of a num ber of old parchments of the 15th century. Many of these were put to domestic uses in the family or served in the making of dolls, but several fell into the hands of Chatterton, who after a few days declared that he had dis covered a treasure. He then procured glos saries of the old dialects of the country, and in 1768, when the new bridge at Bristol was com pleted, he inserted a paper in the Bristol Jour nal, entitled 'A Description of the Friar's First Passing Over the Old Bridge, Taken from an Ancient Manuscript.' He was then but 16 years old. Upon being questioned as to the manner in which he had obtained it, he finally asserted that he was in the possession of several valuable old manuscripts, taken from an old chest in Redcliffe Church. He had been engaged for a year in the composition of several poems, which he attributed to different ancient writers, particularly to one Rowley. In 1769 he ventured to write to Horace Wal pole, who was then engaged upon his dotes of Punters,' giving him an account of a number of painters who had flourished in Bris tol, which Chatterton pretended to have dis covered along with several ancient poems in that city, and received a polite answer. Dis-•
contented with his situation, he went to Lon don. The favorable reception which he there met with from the booksellers inspired him with new hopes. He wrote for several jour nals on the side of the opposition and in dulged the hope of effecting a revolution, boast ing that he was destined to restore the rights of the nation. Failing to procure the rewards which he had expected, his situation daily be came worse. Although extremely temperate, and often voluntarily confining himself to bread and water, he was frequently destitute even of these necessaries. At last, after hav ing been several days without food, he poisoned himself in 1770, when not yet 18 years old. His works were extensively read as the public became acquainted with the history of his mis fortunes. The most remarkable are the poems published under the name of Rowley, which he composed at the age of 15 years. They display a vigorous and brilliant imagination, fertility of invention and often a deep sensibility. Among the poems which he published under his own name his satires deserve the preference. His prose writings are spirited. Professor Skeat's edition of his poems is one of the best. His collected works were published in 1803. See biographies by Dix (1837), 'Wilson (1869) and Masson (1875).