Who was John Donne?
John Donne was a seventeenth century poet and
prose writer as well as being the Dean of Saint Paul's Cathedral,
London.
Date and Place of Birth:
Between 24th January and 19th June 1572, London,
England.
Family Background:
Donne was born of Catholic parents, John, a
prosperous ironmonger and Elizabeth Donne. His mother was a descendent
of Sir Thomas More. His father was a prosperous
merchant. He was the third of six children.
Education:
Hart Hall, later Hertford College, Oxford and
Cambridge University to study law.
Chronology/Biography of John Donne:
1576: Death of
his father. His mother later marries Dr. John Syminges.
1577: Death of
his sister Elizabeth.
1578: Death of
his sisters Katherine and Mary.
1584: John Donne
goes to Oxford.
1588: Death of
his step father John Syminges.
1589: Tours on
the continent.
1590: His mother
marries again this time to Richard Rainford.
1592: John Donne
admitted to Lincoln's Inn Fields.
1593: Brother
Henry dies.
1597: Goes on
an expedition to Cadiz in Spain with the Earl of Essex.
1598: Travels
to the Azores with Essex. Becomes Secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton,
the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal.
1601: John Donne
becomes Member of Parliament for Bracley in Northamptonshire.
1602: Dismissed
from Egerton's service once he finds out about his secret marriage
to his niece, Anne.
1603: Daughter
Constance was born. Son John was born.
1605: John Donne
travels to France and possibly Italy. Son George is born.
1606: Donne family
move to Mitcham and Donne becomes a Protestant.
1607: John Donne
takes lodgings in the Strand in London. Son Francis is born.
1608: Daughter
Lucy was born.
1609: Daughter
Bridget was born. First publication of "The Expiration".
1611: Daughter
Mary was born. Publication of "Ignatius his Conclave"
and "The First Anniversary".
1612: His eighth
child is stillborn.
1613: Son Nicholas
was born but died within a few months.
1614: Becomes
the Member of Parliament for Taunton, Somerset. Death's of children
Mary and Francis. Ordained as deacon and priest at St. Paul's
Cathedral encouraged by King James the First.
1615: John Donne
appointed as a royal chaplain. Daughter Margaret born.
1617: Delivers
his first sermon at St. Paul's Cross. His twelfth child is still
born. His wife Anne dies whilst giving birth.
1619: Joins Viscount
Doncaster on an embassy to Germany.
1621: Appointed
as Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral.
1622: Publication
of first two of Donne's sermons.
1623: Taken seriously
ill.
1624: First publication
of "Devotions upon Emergent Occasions".
1627: Death of
daughter Lucy.
1630: His final
illness begins. Most of the poems known today were published posthumously
as they were originally written for friends or patrons.
Written Works:
- 1612:
"Pseudo-Martyr".
- 1611: "Ignatius
his Conclave". "An Anatomy of the World: The First
Anniversary".
- 1612:
"The Second Anniversary: Of the Progress of the
Soul".
- 1624:
"Devotions upon Emergent Occasions".
- 1631: "Death's
Duel". "Poems".
- (1640):
"Eighty Sermons".
- (1649): "Fifty
Sermons".
- (1651): "Essays
in Divinity".
- (1652):
"Paradoxes, Problems, Essays, Characters".
Marriage:
1601: Secretly marries the niece of Sir Thomas
Egerton, Anne More.
Date and Place of Death:
31st March 1631, London, England.
Age at Death:
59.
Site of Grave:
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England.
The new St Paul's Cathedral, London designed
by Christopher Wren
(© Anthony Blagg)
Places of Interest:
LONDON:
St. Paul's Cathedral (Old building, known by
Donne, was burnt down in 1666 during the Great Fire of London).
British Library
