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Author: Honeywood, St. John

Biography:

Honeywood, St. John (1763-98: WBIS)

Having published a short poem (7 pages) about Washington and the presidency in 1796, Honeywood was preparing a collection of poetry before he died suddenly in 1798. The work was completed and published posthumously by an anonymous Editor who had not known him personally, but had married his widow. Most of the biographical information about him is derived from the Preface to this posthumous work. (Dexter identifies the editor as a Mr. Moore who had also taken over Honeywood's legal practice.)  Born in Leicester MA, he was the son of British-born John Honeywood, a physician who became an army surgeon and died in battle in 1776. His mother Elizabeth (Steel) Honeywood also died shortly afterwards. Friends of the family took over responsibility for the education of the orphan. In 1782 he graduated from Yale, where he had become a protegé of the President, Ezra Stiles. He taught school for two years in Schenectady NY, then went on to study law in Albany and to set up practice in Salem, Washington County, NY. He edited two Salem papers, the short-lived Washington Patriot and the more successful Northern Sentinel. About 1788, he married Clarissa Mosely. They had no children. He rose to be a Master in Chancery and Clerk of the County, and was chosen as one of the Electors who voted for John Adams for President when Washington refused a further term. His death is attributed to hereditary gout or a "too sedentary life." (Dexter; Appleton)

 

Books written (1):

New York: printed by T. and J. Swords, 1801