William Julius (Meikle) Mickle (1735 - 1788)

Born 28 Sep 1735 in Langholm, Dumfriesshire, Scotland

Husband of Mary (Tomkins) Mickle — married 3 Jun 1782 in Holborn, Middlesex, England

Descendants

Died 28 Oct 1788 at age 53 in Forest Hill, Oxfordshire, England

Scottish poet who settled in Oxfordshire. Author of the ballad of Cumnor Hall and translator of the epic Portugese poem The Lusiad by Luis de Camões.

Biography

William (Meikle) Mickle is Notable.

This profile is part of the Wheatley, Oxfordshire One Place Study.

William was born in 1735, son of Alexander Meikle (a parish minister) & Julia Henderson. He was baptised on 2 October 1735 in Langholm, Dumfries, Scotland.^[1]

In 1757 he inherited the family brewery in Edinburgh but it failed financially within a few years and William moved to London in 1763, changing his name from Meikle to Mickle and embarking on a literary career.

From 1772 to 1779 William lived with a patron, Robert Tomkins, in Forest Hill, Oxfordshire. He married Robert's daughter Mary Tomkins on 3 Jun 1782. ^{[2] [3]} The couple set-up home in Wheatley, Oxfordshire and had one son.

He passed away in 1788 and is buried at Forest Hill, Oxfordshire. ^{[4] [5]}

There is a memorial plaque on William's former home in Crown Road, Wheatley, Oxfordshire. It is thought that he entertained Samuel Johnson and James Boswell at this address in June 1784.

Research notes

There is a discrepancy around William's birth date. This is given as 29 Sep 1734 at wikipedia and findagrave but 28 Sep 1735 at the Dictionary of National Biography. His baptism was in 1735 so possibly the 1735 date is more likely.

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: "Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950"
   Ancestry uk Record 60143 #5668149 (accessed 3 February 2022)
   William Meikle baptism on 2 Oct 1735, son of Allexander Meikle & Julia Henderson, in , Langholm, Dumfries, Scotland.
2. ↑ Bond: "London and Surrey, England, Marriage Bonds and Allegations, 1597-1921"
   Ancestry uk Record 2056 #222794 (accessed 3 February 2022)
   Name: William Julius Mickle; Event Date: 1 Jun 1782; Parish: Hart Street, St Olave; County: London; Spouse's Name: Mary Tomkins; Event Type: Bond; Reference Number: MS10091E/95.
3. ↑ Marriage: "London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936"
   London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: P69/AND2/A/01/MS 6671/6
   Ancestry uk Record 1623 #212649 (accessed 3 February 2022)
   William Julius Mickle marriage to Mary Tomkins on 3 Jun 1782 in St Andrew, Holborn, City of London, England.
4. ↑ Will: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858"
   The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 1177
   Ancestry uk Record 5111 #447017 (accessed 3 February 2022)
   Will of William Julius Mickle of Wheatley, Oxfordshire, England, granted probate on 14 Mar 1789. Died Abt 1789.
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/196863025/william-julius-mickle : accessed 03 February 2022), memorial page for William Julius Mickle (29 Sep 1734–25 Oct 1788), Find a Grave Memorial ID 196863025, citing St. Nicholas' Church, Forest Hill, South Oxfordshire District, Oxfordshire, England ; Maintained by Eileen Cunningham (contributor 47612450) .

See also:

• Biographical detail at the University of Yale, owner of the William Julius Mickle papers: https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/11/resources/1040
• The Ballad of Cumnor Hall at poetry.com
• "Dictionary of National Biography, Volumes 1-22"
  London, England: Oxford University Press; Volume: Vol 13; Page: 336
  Ancestry uk Record 1981 #40764 (accessed 3 February 2022)
  Name: William Julius Mickle; Birth Date: 28 Sep1735; Birth Place: Langholm, Dumfriesshire; Death Date: 28 Oct1788; Father: Alexander Meikle; Mother: Julian Henderson.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Julius_Mickle