The Shepherd's Calendar with Village Stories and Other Poems

n.p. . [1847].

One of six manuscript copies transcribed by Charles Pollington. A presentation inscription on one of the preliminary leaves states: "This sixth Copy of Clare's Poems is presented to my dear Grand-daughter Margaret Pollington of London to perpetuate the remembrance of her Grandfather Charles Pollington. Boston. 1851." 185x112mm. Presentation inscription, frontispiece monochrome watercolour of Clare's Cottage, Helpstone, title page and 359pp. Pasted in on the presentation page are two news cuttings and loosely inserted at the back of the book are some newspaper and magazine cuttings relating to Clare. Original half Morocco, marbled paper covered boards, spine lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers. Rubbing to corners and edges. Spine split from upper cover. Internally very good. A nice copy of a rare curiosity.
No record appears to exist of Charles Pollington (1775-1859) save that he lived, and was buried in Boston, Lincolnshire. He was clearly devoted to the work of John Clare as this is stated to be the sixth transcription he made of Clare's collection The Shepherd's Calendar with Village Stories and Other Poems. It is a beautiful object, lovingly created in a small but clear hand. The frontispiece painting of Clare's cottage is stated as having been "Drawn by Charles Pollington, Grandson of the writer of this Transcript Copy of Clare's Poems. January 31st 1851 in the 8th Year of his Age". At the end of the book is an extract from a letter sent to Charles Pollington in which a friend relates an encounter with Clare under the colonnade at All Saints' Church in Northampton. Clare was a patient at the asylum in the town. The letter notes that Clare "has an unlimited supply of books, and is never without one in his pocket, together with paper and pencils. This poet is still solaced by visits of his muse". Pollington then writes out two poems given by Clare to his friend – Sleep and Spring (published as Sleep of Spring or, in Arthur Symons's 1908 collection as Home Yearnings where it is included as one of Clare's Asylum Poems) and The Nightingale. It seems probable therefore that this labour of love represents the first appearance of these two poems.