John Heneage Jesse

Who was John Heneage Jesse?

John Heneage Jesse, English historian, son of Edward Jesse, was educated at Eton, and afterward became a clerk in the secretary's department of the Admiralty.

His poem on Mary, Queen of Scots, was published about 1831, and was followed by a collection of poems entitled Tales of the Dead. He also wrote a drama, Richard III, and a fragmentary poem entitled London. None of these ventures achieved any success, but his numerous historical works are written with vivacity and interest, and, in their own style, are an important contribution to the history of England.

They include:

Memoirs of the Court of England during the Reign of the Stuarts

Memoirs of the Court of England from the Revolution of 1688 to the Death of George II

George Selwyn and his Contemporaries

Memoirs of the Pretenders and their Adherents

Memoirs of Richard the Third and his Contemporaries

Memoirs of the Life and Reign of King George the Third

The titles of these works are sufficiently indicative of their character. They are sketches of the principal personages and of the social details of various periods in the history of England rather than complete and comprehensive historical narratives.