Author: Hoyland, Francis
Biography:
HOYLAND, Francis (1727-86: ODNB)
Although ODNB has him as the son of James Hoyland and born at Castle Howard, Yorkshire, ancestry.co.uk records indicate that he was likely the son of Joseph Hoyland and baptised at Pontefract, West Yorkshire. His mother’s name is unknown. He was educated at Halifax Grammar School and Magdalene College, Cambridge (BA 1749). According to his “Ode to Sleep,” he travelled to the West Indies, possibly for his health which was never good. He married Rosamond Bradley in 1749; they had four children. Ordained a deacon in 1751, he was vicar first of Little Oakley and then of Weekley (both Northhamptonshire). In 1769 he was offered a living in South Carolina which he declined on the grounds of his poor health. His friend, the poet William Mason, introduced him to Horace Walpole, who assisted him in having his poems published. (ODNB 4 Mar. 2019; ancestry.co.uk 4 Mar. 2019)
Other Names:
- the Rev. Mr. Hoyland