Poets of labouring class origin were published in Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries. Some were popular and important in their day but few are available today. This is a collection of some of those poems from the 18th century.

Bridget Keegan,

Contents of Volume II -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Chronology -- Note on the Text -- HENRY JONES (1 721-1770) -- The Bricklayer's Poem. Presented to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant. On his Arrival in this Kingdom (1745) -- The Bricklayer's Poem, to the Countess of chesterfield, on her Ladyship's Saving the Soldiers from Being Shot (1745) -- Philosophy. A Poem. Address'd to the Ladies Who Attend Mr Booth's Lectures (1746) -- From Poems on Several Occasions (1749) -- Advertisement -- Lines to Lord Chief Justice Singleton -- On Mr Pope's Death -- To a Friend Who I-lad Writ Verses to Mr Pope, in the Person of Apollo, Occasioned by Hearing That Poet Abus'd -- To the Reverend Dr Mann, Occasioned by the Author's Asking Him for a Subject to Write on, and his Saying He Could Think of None -- On his Excellency the Earl of Chesterfield's Resigning the Government of Ireland -- From Merit. A Poem: Inscribed to the Right Honourable Philip Earl of Chesterfield (1753) -- [Introduction; Newton, Locke and Boyle] [Garrick's Genius] -- -- From The Relief or, Day Thoughts: A Poem. Occasioned by the Complaint, or Night Thoughts (1754) -- Introduction; Critique of Young's Style] [Critique of Graveyard School of Poetry} -- On the Invention of Letters, and the Utility of the Press (1755) -- From Clifton: A Poem, in Two Cantos, lnthldinR Bristol and A/I its Environs (1767) -- Canto I -- JAMES EYRE WEEKES (fl. 1743-53) -- From Poems on Several Occasions (1743) -- To his Serene Highness Prince Nobody -- On a Pen -- The Poet's Case -- The Cobler's Poem, to a Certain Noble Peer. Occasioned by the Brick-Layer's Poem (1745) -- THOMAS BLACKLOCK (1721-1791) -- MARY LEAPOR (1722-1 746) -- From Poems upon Several Occasions, Volume 1 (1748) -- To the Reader -- An Epistle to a Lady -- The Head-Ach -- To Grammaticus -- On Mr Pope's Universal Prayer -- Advice to Myrtillo -- From Poems upon Several Occasions... The Second and Last Volume (1751) -- To John * * * * *, Esq; -- An Epistle to Artemesia. On Fame -- The Epistle of Deborah Dough -- JAMES MAXWELL. (1720-1800) -- From Dii7ne Miscellanies, or, Sacred Poems (1756) -- Mechanical Exercise Applied to Devotion and Piety; or the Weaver's Meditations. Meditation IV Contentment -- -- From Animadversions on Some Poets and Poetasters of the Present Ate, -- Especially, R-t B-s, and]-,, L-k. With a Contrast of Some of the 1-ormerAe (1788) -- Animadversions &c. -- On the Ayr-Shire Ploughman Poet, or Poetaster, R. B. -- On the Prolongation of the Slave Trade. A Moral Essqy, Set Forth in the Following Dialqgue (1790?) -- From A Brief Narrative; or, Some Remarks on the Life of James Maxwel Poet, in Pais1y. Written by Himself; at the Beginnings of his Entering the Seven fy-Sixtb Year of his Age (1795) Preface -- A Brief Narrative, &c -- [Employments; Family Life] -- [Return to Scotland; Death of his Wife] -- [Finding an Audience] -- WILLIAM VERNON (b. 1734) -- From Poems on Several Occasions (1758) -- Advertisement -- Epistle to a Friend -- A Journey to Wales -- The Poet New Cloathed -- Horace Book 1. Ode XXII -- Horace Book 11. Ode XIV -- Iphis and Anaxerete -- Horace Book IV. Ode IX. Imitated -- WILLIAIvI FM.CONER (1732-1769) -- From The Shipwreck (1762) -- Advertisement -- Argument -- Poem -- WILLIAM BRIMBLE (ft 1765) -- From Poems, Attempted on Various Occasions (1765) -- Preface -- Addressed to an Afflicted Young Lady and her Female Friend, on their Preparing to Leave Bath -- A Burial Hymn, Taken out of the 7" Chap. of Job -- On a Visit to Marshfield -- A Short Review of a Journey from the Country to Taunton Assizes -- On Fortitude -- The Song of Deborah and Barak,Judges 5", Paraphrased -- On the Commencement of the Late Spanish War -- JAMES WOODHOUSE (1735-1820) -- From Poems On Several Occasions (l766) -- The Author's Apology -- Advertisement. To the First Edition (1764) -- An E1eg To William Shenstone, Esq; of the Lessowes -- Elegy 11. Written to William Shenstone, Esq; of the Lessowes -- To William Shenstone, Esq; on his Indisposition in the Spring, 1762 -- Benevolence, An Ode. Inscribed to my Friends -- The Lessowes. A Poem -- Wrote at the Lessowcs, after Mr Shenstone's Death -- Palemon and Colinet -- To the Right Honorable Lord Lyttelton -- To the Right Honorable Lord Lyttelton. An Epistle -- Verses. Addressed to -- Gratitude. A Poem -- To the Right Honourable the Countess of ___ -- Ode to Apollo -- From Poems on Several Occasions (1788) -- Address -- From The life and Lucubrations of Crispinus Soiblerus. A Novel, in Verse. Written in the L4st Century: With Annotations and Commentaries, by a Friend (1814) -- Preface -- From Chap. I. Introduction -- [On Enclosure] -- [The Rights of the Poor] -- [Growth of the Poet's Mind] -- CUTHBERT SHAW (1739-1771) -- From The Race (1766) -- Address to the Critics The Race -- [Announcement of the Race] -- [Reviewers] -- [Dodsley] -- [Johnson] -- [Henry Jones] -- [Stephen Duck] -- [Unknown Hopefuls] -- Monody to the Memory of a Young LadY Who Died in Child-Bed (1768) -- N. EllioT (ft. 1767-1776) -- The Vestry, a Poem (1767) -- From The Atheist. A Poem (1770) [Introduction] -- [Religion and Reason] -- [His Poetry] -- An Ode to Chaiiy (1770) -- MICHAEL BRUCE (1746-1767) -- SAMUEL LAW (fl. 1772) -- From A Domestic Winter-Piece: Or, a Poem, bxhibiIing a Full View of the A uthor Dwelling Place in the Winter-Season (1772) The Preface -- [Introduction] -- [Description of a Storm] -- JOHN BENNET fl 1774-1796) -- From Poems on Several Occasions (1774) -- To my Honourable Benefactors and Worthy Subscribers To the Rev Mr Warton, Curate of Woodstock, and Late Professor of Poetry in Oxford -- To the Author, on his Book of Poems -- Woodstock -- The Manor Ruins -- Sunday -- Industry and Sloth. A Dialogue -- To Mr T. D. -- The Crafts in Distress -- Sent to his Grace the D- of -, on Receiving a Bounty for his Poems -- Bowley's Ale -- The Tail -- Prologue to Cato -- Crispin. By Mr J. G. -- THOMAS OLIVlRS (1725-1799) -- A Hymn to the God of Abraham, In Three Parts (1775) -- CHRiSTOPHER JONFS (fl. 1775-1782) -- Sowton. A Village Conference: Occasioned by a Late Law Decision (1775) -- Preface -- Sowton &c -- From The Miscellaneous Poetic Attempts of C. Jones, an Uneducated -- Journeyman Wool. Comber (1782) -- Advertisement -- On a Book of Poems -- Ode to Benevolence -- The Invitation -- Occasioned by a Dispute Respecting the Origins of War, Source of Happiness, &c -- On Manning his Majesty's Fleet by the Irregular Mode of Pressing Indiscriminately -- To the Hon. Members of the Committee for 'Ways and Means, 1779 -- Ode: Addressed to the Rev Mr Tasker, on Reading the Third Edition of his Popular Pindaric Ode, to the War-Like Genius of Great Britain -- To an Injudicious Critic, Who Assumed the Name of Cato Censor -- The Empty Jug -- On Plotting -- The Royal Oak: A Song -- JOHN LUCAS (ft. 1776-1781) -- From Miscellanies in Verse and Prose (1776) -- A Dialogue, by Way of Apology -- Philo's Garden, or, a Description of the Garden of the Soul. An Allegory -- The Author to his Muse -- Address to a Friend -- The Cobler -- From The Fall of Pharoab; And Philo's Apology. Two Poems (1781) -- Philo's Apology: Or, the Cobler, and his Muse -- THOMAS CHATERTON (1752-1770) -- From Poems Supposed to Have Been Written at Bristol, by Thomas -- Rowley, and Others, in the Fifteenth Century (1777) -- An Excelente Balade of Charitie -- The Stone of Wiliiam Canynge -- ANNE WILSON (fl. 1778-1783) -- From Teisa: A Descriptive Poem of the River Teese, its Towns and Antiquities (1778) -- [Introduction: Source of the Tees] -- [Mining Pastoral] -- [Cheesemaking and Herb Gathering] -- [Her Life] -- [Barnard Weavers] -- [Vale…