Author: Sayer, S.
Biography:
SAYER, S. (fl 1808)
No positive identification can be made for S. Sayer, who published her “juvenile performance” (“To the Public”) The Garland in London in 1808, but internal evidence makes it possible to narrow the field a little. She was female: a number of first-person references in the poems make that clear. The choice of subjects such as lines addressed to friends, a monody on the death of her brother Edward, narrative poems with heroines, and pious verses on religious subjects are also typically female territory. The volume is dedicated, with permission, to the Princess of Wales. The list of subscribers, each of whom took two copies, indicates that the family was well connected. Few addresses are given and most of the subscribers probably had homes in London. “The Lady Mayoress” subscribed. There are many Misses and Mrses. but also a few peers, for example Earl Cowper, a few baronets, and several Right Honorable ladies. There are three Sayers--John, Miss S. (possibly the author), and Master Joseph. She does not appear to have published again and nothing is known of her later life. (ancestry.com 21 Sept. 2024; findmypast.com 21 Sept. 2024)