John Scott of Amwell

John Scott of Amwell

John Scott (January 9, 1731 – December 12, 1783), known as Scott of Amwell, was a wealthy Quaker who lived at Amwell near Ware in Hertfordshire, England. He is now remembered mainly for his shell grotto, which was restored by the Ware Society in 1991 and is now open to the public, and for his pastoral verse – his "Poetical Works" were published in 1782. The grotto and the man were both admired by Samuel Johnson, who intended to write his life but died before he could do so. The biography was then done by John Hoole, another of Johnson's circle and a translator and dramatist. Scott was a friend of David Barclay and one of William Blake's patrons.

In his time he was celebrated as an expert on the turnpike roads and a critic of the Poor Law. He was an active member of three Hertfordshire turnpike trusts and his "Digests of the General Highway and Turnpike Laws"(1778) was praised by Sidney and Beatrice Webb who called him "the ablest Turnpike Trustee of his time". The Webbs also admired his "Observations on the Present State of the Parochial and Vagrant Poor (1773)". Despite their friendship, Scott took issue with Dr. Johnson on the rights of the American colonies and his "Lives of the Poets".

Popular culture reference

In the finale of the first season of the television series "Tour of Duty", the character Roger Horn temporarily deserts his platoon and is heard reciting the first verse of John Scott's strongly pacifist "Ode Against Recruiting" - "I hate that Drum's discordant sound ..." The ode is sometimes referred to as a "Retort on Mordaunt's "The Call" but there is no evidence that Scott knew of Thomas Osbert Mordaunt or his poem.

References

*"John Scott of Amwell" (1956) Lawrence D. Stewart
*"Scott of Amwell, Dr. Johnson's Quaker Critic" (2001) David Perman

ources

* [http://www.kingkong.demon.co.uk/ngcoba/sc.htm "New General Catalog of Old Books and Authors"]
* [http://www.theotherpages.org/poems/poem-st.html "Poets' Corner"]
* [http://www.quaker.org.uk/library/index.html Scott's letters at the Friends' Library, London (Dimsdale MSS)]


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