Thomas Cooper (poet)

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Thomas Cooper (March 20, 1805 – July 15, 1892) was a Chartist poet

[edit] Early Years

Cooper was born in Leicester, and apprenticed to a shoemaker. In spite of hardships and difficulties, he educated himself, and at 23 was a schoolmaster.

[edit] Chartist Leader & Lecturer

He became a leader and lecturer among the Chartists, and in 1842 was imprisoned in Stafford gaol for two years, where he wrote his Purgatory of Suicides, a political epic.

At the same time he adopted sceptical views, which he continued to hold until 1855, when he became a Christian, joined the Baptists, and was a preacher among them.

[edit] Latter Years

In his latter years he settled down into an old-fashioned Radical. His friends in 1867 raised an annuity for him, and in the last year of his life he received a government pension. In addition to his poems he wrote several novels. Somewhat impulsive, he was an honest and sincere man.

This article incorporates public domain text from: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J.M. Dent & sons; New York, E.P. Dutton.

Persondata
NAME	Cooper, Thomas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Chartist poet
DATE OF BIRTH	March 20, 1805
PLACE OF BIRTH	Leicester, Leicestershire, Engand
DATE OF DEATH	July 15, 1892
PLACE OF DEATH