Life

James Plumptre was born at Cambridge on 2 October 1771, the third son of Robert Plumptre

Robert Plumptre

Robert Plumptre was an English churchman and academic, President of Queens' College, Cambridge from 1760.-Life:He was the youngest of ten children of John Plumptre of Nottinghamshire, and was grandson of Henry Plumptre. He was educated by Dr. Henry Newcome at Hackney, and matriculated as a...

, President of Queens' College, Cambridge

Queens' College, Cambridge

Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...

, by his wife, Anne Newcome. Anna Plumptre was his sister. James was educated at Dr. Henry Newcome's school at Hackney

Hackney (parish)

Hackney was a parish in the historic county of Middlesex. The parish church of St John-at-Hackney was built in 1789, replacing the nearby former 16th century parish church dedicated to St Augustine . The original tower of that church was retained to hold the bells until the new church could be...

, where he took part in amateur theatricals. In 1788 he entered Queens' College, Cambridge, but migrated to Clare Hall

Clare College, Cambridge

Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...

, where he graduated B.A. in 1792, M.A. in 1795, and B.D. in 1808. In 1793 he was elected fellow of Clare.

On 18 May 1812 he was presented to the living of Great Gransden

Great Gransden

Great Gransden parish is west of the county town of Cambridge, south-east of Huntingdon and north of London. It covers an area of . The village stands on the B1046 road between Abbotsley, to the west, and Longstowe, to the east...

, Huntingdonshire

Huntingdonshire

Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...

, which he held till his death there on 23 January 1832. He was unmarried.

Works

He wrote plays, advocated the claims of the stage as a moral educator, and tried to improve its tone. He also wrote religious books. Besides pamphlets, letters, single sermons, and hymns, he published:

• ‘The Coventry Act; a Comedy,’ 1793.
• ‘A concise View of the History of Religious Knowledge,’ 1794.
• ‘Osway: a Tragedy,’ 1795.
• ‘The Lakers: a Comic Opera,’ 1798.
• ‘A Collection of Songs … selected and revised,’ 3 vols., 1806.
• ‘Four Discourses relating to the Stage,’ 1809.
• ‘The Vocal Repository,’ 1809.
• ‘The English Drama purified,’ 3 vols. 1812; a selection of expurgated plays.
• ‘Three Discourses on the Case of Animal Creation,’ 1816.
• ‘The Experienced Butcher,’ 1816.
• ‘Original Dramas,’ 1818.
• ‘A Selection from the Fables by John Gay,’ 1823.
• ‘One Hundred Fables in Verse, by various Authors,’ 1825.
• ‘Robinson Crusoe, edited by Rev. James Plumptre,’ 1826; republished in 1882 by the S.P.C.K.
• ‘A Popular Commentary on the Bible,’ 2 vols. 1827.