Miss Susanna Blamire was born at Cardew Hall, near Carlisle, and remained there from the date of her birth (1747) till she was twenty years of age, when she accompanied her sister—who had married Colonel Graham of Duchray, Perthshire—to Scotland, and continued there some years. She became enamoured of Scottish music and poetry, and thus qualified herself for writing such sweet lyrics as “The Nabob” and “What ails this heart o’ mine?” On her return to Cumberland, she wrote several pieces illustrative of Cumbrian manners. She died unmarried in 1794. Her poetical pieces, some of which had been floating through the country in the form of popular songs, were collected by Mr. Patrick Maxwell, and published in 1842.

Personal

  Of graceful form, somewhat above the middle size, and a countenance—though slightly marked with the smallpox—beaming with good nature. Her dark eyes sparkled with animation, and won every heart at the first introduction.

  Judging from her portrait, and from descriptions which are extant of the person of Sukey Blamire (whose sister Sarah was one of the greatest beauties in Cumberland), we gather that she was slightly marked from small-pox, but not so much as to disfigure her features or mar her complexion. She had berry-brown hair, of which she professed to be very vain. She wore it thrown back from her high forehead, and hanging down on her shoulders in a long roll, formed of one thick curl, disposed with studied negligence somewhat in the style of the present day. Her nose was large, and too pronounce, but her mouth was very sweet in its firmness, and her eyes and brows were fine. She was tall and slender, with a shapely neck, bust, and shoulders. Her dress (in the portrait) is a marvel of simple elegance. The body of the gown is cut square and low, with a full white edging around the bosom. A single rose is worn at one side.

  Susanna Blamire’s life was uneventful, and there are scarcely any records of it left. She lived in an obscure part of England amongst her own relatives, and her correspondence has not been preserved. Her poems were fugitives pieces, some of which appeared in magazines, but were never signed by her name. They were not collected till long after her death, when her memory had almost faded away, and personal details were vague. She is described as of “graceful form, somewhat above the middle size, and a countenance, though slightly marked with the small-pox, beaming with good nature; her dark eyes sparkled with animation.” Her country neighbours called her a “bonnie and varra lish young lass.” She lived among the rustics, entered into their enjoyments, and sympathized with their troubles. She was fond of society, and was in great request at the “merrie-neets,” or social gatherings, where she mixed with every class. A good farmer said sadly after her death: “The merrie-neets won’t be worth going to since she is no more.” The genuine gaiety and sprightliness of her disposition may be judged by the fact that if she met a wandering musician on the road she was known to dismount from her pony, ask for the music of a jig, and dance, till she was weary, on the grass.

General

  The characteristics of Miss Blamire’s poetry are considerable tenderness of feeling, very gracefully expressed, and a refined delicacy of imagination, which, whilst it never thrills, always pleases. Her poem called “The Nabob,” which describes the return of an Indian adventurer to the home of his youth, is a very effecting and delightful production. Her songs, though not without marks of elaboration, display great simplicity and force of feeling.

  Susanna Blamire reached by keen observation what Lady Nairne arrived at instinctively. As a result which might be looked for from the two processes, Lady Nairne’s studies of ploughmen, fish-wives, and gude-wives have more of the large framework of common humanity, are more delicate and idealised; while Susanna Blamire’s are narrower, and more literal.

  Susanna Blamire was a true poet, and deserves more recognition than she has yet received. Her sphere is somewhat narrow, but everything that she had written is genuine and truthful. She has caught the peculiar humour of the Cumbrian folk with admirable truth, and depicts it faithfully so far as was consistent with her own refinement. As a song-writer she deserves to rank very high. She preferred to write songs in the Scottish dialect, and three at least of her songs are exquisite, “What ails this heart o’ mine?” “And ye shall walk in silk attire,” and “The Traveller’s Return.”

  She wrote a variety of pieces in English, but is chiefly remembered by her Scottish songs. These were for long merely handed about in manuscript, and it was only in 1842 that they were collected and published at Edinburgh, the authoress being designated on the title-page the “Muse of Cumberland.”