Author: Mann, James
Biography:
MANN, James (fl 1817)
The authorship of Macbeth: a Poem (1817) was debated in the nineteenth century but is still a riddle. Halkett and Laing attributed it confidently to him, adding that the Notes were by “Dr. J. Adam” (another mystery). NLS and some other libraries accept this attribution; BL more cautiously proposes either Mann or David Carey (q.v.); WC declares that both Mann and Carey were the authors, perhaps intending either. The Notes, Dr. Adam notwithstanding, appear to have been authorial: although they refer to “the author” in the third person, they describe personal experiences and emotions that only the author could vouch for. In 1891 the Arbroath Herald dismissed speculation that Carey had been the author, citing anachronisms and errors of fact in the text. The only writer named James Mann who was active in publishing in the period was an American physician (1759-1832) who wrote exclusively on medical topics. HL are almost certainly wrong but Carey supporters may not be right either. (HL; ANBO 14 Mar. 2023; findmypast.com 14 Mar. 2023; Arbroath Herald 2 Apr. 1891) HJ