Henry James Pye (1745–1813), though Poet Laureate, wrote but poor verses. He commuted the tierce of canary to which the Poet Laureate was entitled for £27 a year. He was a son of Henry Pye of Faringdon, and at one time was M.P. for Berkshire. Joshua Sylvester (1563–1618), also a poet, is said to have lived at Lambourn as steward to the ancient family of Essex, and one of his volumes is dedicated to Mistress Essex of Lambourn.
Miss Mitford
Mrs Elizabeth Montague (1720–1800), whose London house was a centre of intellect and fashion, where the term “Blue-stocking” was first applied to her conversation parties, lived a good deal at Sandleford Priory, near Newbury, and built a large house there from plans by Wyatt.
She cannot, however, claim the close connection with Berkshire, both as regards life and writings, which is so characteristic of Mary Russell Mitford (1787–1855) who lived for a time at Reading, then at Three Mile Cross, and finally at Swallowfield, in the churchyard of which place she lies buried. Her best known work is Our Village, the scenes in which are laid in the district at and around Three Mile Cross.
Thomas Day (1748–1789), the author of Sandford and Merton, was the owner of Bear Hill, Wargrave.
John Winchcombe, alias Smalwoode (died 1520), was a pioneer of the clothing manufacture at Newbury, and acquired thereby great wealth. He built a house at Bucklebury on land which had belonged to the Abbey of Reading. His descendant, Frances Winchcombe, married in 1700 the celebrated Viscount Bolingbroke, who resided at Bucklebury for a time. John Winchcombe is buried in Newbury church. He was popularly known as “Jack of Newbury” and many fables are told about him. Thomas Deloney, a weaver by trade, who lived in the latter part of the sixteenth century, wrote the ballad “The Pleasant History of John Winchcomb, in his younger days called Jack of Newbury.”
26. The Chief Towns and Villages of Berkshire.
(The figures in brackets after each name give the population of the town or parish in 1901, and those at the end of the sections give the references to the text.)