John Ireland

Born at Trench Farm near Wem in Shropshire, John Ireland worked first as a watchmaker, including in London’s Maiden Lane, before making his name as an author and editor. Early in his career he published the poem The Emigrant in 1785 and, soon after, a volume of letters, poems, and anecdotes about the actor John Henderson.

Ireland is remembered above all for his deep interest in William Hogarth. He collected Hogarth material and produced Hogarth Illustrated, a major multi-volume work, then used manuscripts and sketches connected with Hogarth to compile a biographical supplement published in 1798. That account became an important foundation for later memoirs of Hogarth.

He died in Birmingham in November 1808. Although not a household name now, his books helped preserve valuable details about one of Britain’s most important artists, giving him a lasting place in literary and art-historical scholarship.