We recently found 5 books with Stainforth bookplates in the Newberry’s catalog. One of the gems in this find is a collection of poems by Ann Murry (1755-1816). Murry is a little-known writer without an entry in either the ODNB or Orlando, but she does have a short bio on the Spenserians website, found here. Murry is an example of a writer that the Stainforth library can aid in recovering.

Ann Murry was born in London, the daughter of a wine-merchant. Little is known of Murry, though her didactic work Mentoria went through eleven editions. Several “Miss Wests” are included in her list of subscribers; a poem is inscribed to “Jane West,” though since she is addressed as “Miss” she may not be the poet Jane West whose maiden name is not recorded.

TEXT RECORDS:

1779 City Splendor, a Town Eclogue.
1779 The Card Party, a Town Eclogue.
1779 The Tete a Tete, or Fashionable Pair: an Eclogue.

PUBLICATIONS:

Mentoria: or, the young ladies instructor, in familiar conversations on moral and entertaining subjects. 1779.
Poems on various subjects. 1779.
A concise history of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. 1783.
The sequel to Mentoria; or, the young ladies instructor. 1799.
Mentorian lectures on sacred subjects. 1809.

The Newberry owns Murry’s Poems on various subjects (1779), and you can read an electronic copy of this book in Google Books (note that it is not the precise copy as the Stainforth plate copy in the Newberry, so there may be some differences in content.)

The 4 other books with Stainforth bookplates found here include, and titles are linked to catalog records:

Behn, Aphra. False count, or A new way to play an old game. As it is acted at the Duke’s theatre. (1682) [in catalog]

Betham, Matilda. The lay of Marie: a poem. (1816) [in catalog]

Brown, Thomas. Sylvia’s revenge, or, A satyr against man: in answer to the satyr against woman. (1707) [in catalog]. [Note: Thomas Brown is a pseudonym. Author also listed as M.P. and as Richard Ames. I am curious if there is a woman author masking as Ames, or if Ames is an editor for another author.]

Rowe, Elizabeth Singer. The history of Joseph. A poem. In ten books. (1759) [in catalog]