Samuel Jackson Pratt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 25 December 1749 St Ives, Huntingdonshire |
| Died | 4 October 1814 (aged 64) Birmingham, West Midlands |
| Pen name | "Courtney Melmoth" |
| Occupation | Writer, poet & dramatist |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | English |
| Education | Felsted, Essex |
| Period | 18th & 19th Centuries |
| Spouse | "Mrs Charlotte Melmoth" |
Samuel Jackson Pratt (25 December 1749 – 4 October 1814) was a prolific English poet, dramatist and novelist, writing under the pseudonym of "Courtney Melmoth"[1] as well as under his own name. He authored around 40 publications between 1770 and 1810, some of which are still published today,[2] and is probably best remembered as the author of Emma Corbett: or the Miseries of Civil War, (1780) and the poem Sympathy (1788).[3] Although his reputation was tainted by scandal during his lifetime, he is today recognised as an early campaigner for animal welfare[4] and the first English writer to treat the American Revolution as a legitimate subject for literature.[5]