John Gilpin
John Gilpin (18th century) was a real-life character whose exploits became legendary and featured in a well-known ballad by William Cowper of 1782, entitled, The Diverting History of John Gilpin. Cowper had heard the story from a friend.
John Gilpin was a wealthy draper from Cheapside in London, who owned land at Olney in Buckinghamshire, near where Cowper lived. The poem tells how Gilpin and his wife and children became separated during a journey to the Bell Inn, after Gilpin loses control of his horse.
Referenced By
1782 in literature | Antoinette Louise Alberte Suzanne | Austin Dobson | Henry Austin Dobson | List of poems | Princess Antoinette of Monaco | William Cowper
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