Record Number: 11485

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'a circumstance occurd which nearly stopd me from writing even for my own amusement borrowing a school book of a companion, having some entertaining things in it both in prose and Verse with an introduction by the compiler, who doubtless like myself knew little about either [...] in this introduction was rules both for writing as well as reading Compositions in prose and verse, were, stumbling on a remark that a person who knew nothing of grammer was not capable of writing a letter nor even a bill of parcels, I was quite in the suds, seeing that I had gone on thus far without learing the first rudiments of doing it properly for I had hardly h[e]ard the name of grammer, while at school ? but as I had an itch for trying at every thing I got hold of I determ[i]ned to try grammer, and for that purpose, by the advice of a friend, bought the "Universal Spelling Book" as the most easy assistant for my starting out, but finding a jumble of words classd under this name and that name and this such a figure of speech and that another hard worded figure I turned from further notice of it in disgust for as I knew I could talk to be understood I thought by the same method my writing might be made out as easy and as proper, so in the teeth of grammer I pursued my literary journey' [In the suds = In the dumps]

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1800 and 31 Dec 1805

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Helpston
county: Northamptonshire

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

---

Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

John Clare

Age:

Child (0-17)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

17 Jul 1793

Socio-Economic Group:

Labourer (agricultural)

Occupation:

Agricultural Labourer

Religion:

Church of England

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

---

Text Being Read:

Author:

Daniel Fenning

Title:

The universal spelling-book: or, a new and easy guide to the English Language. Containing I Tables of Words [...] V Chronological Tables of the Succession of the Kings of England [...]

Genre:

History, Poetry, Education, Textbook / self-education, Reference / General works

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

the forty-first edition with additions [...] Revised, corrected and improved by the Rev. J. Malham. London: S. Crowder; Salisbury; B.C. Collins, 1794

Provenance

borrowed (other)

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

11485

Source:

Print

Author:

John Clare

Editor:

Eric Robinson

Title:

John Clare By Himself

Place of Publication:

Ashington

Date of Publication:

1996

Vol:

n/a

Page:

17

Additional Comments:

Co-editor David Powell

Citation:

John Clare, Eric Robinson (ed.), John Clare By Himself, (Ashington, 1996), p. 17, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=11485, accessed: 26 April 2025

---

Additional Comments:

A Clareian epiphanic moment which was crucial to his sense of identity and purpose. British Library Shelfmark 1568/4140
The attribution of Fenning as Clare's source is by the editors of 'By Himself,' Eric Robinson and David Powell.