Born in Weston Colville but spending most of his life in Fordham, James Withers (1812–1892) remains one of the country’s most intriguing unknown poets.

In his heyday, he received a £50 grant from Queen Victoria and won plaudits from Charles Dickens and other luminaries of the literary world.

Now, scores of his handwritten poetry manuscripts and letters to friends, together with an autobiographical memoir of his early life, have been donated to the University Library by Withers’s great-great grandson Ren Bowen.

John Wells, Senior Archivist in the Department of Archives and Modern Manuscripts, said: “Although Withers is not well-known, he is of particular interest as a rural, labouring poet, largely self-taught, with no formal education.

“He is part of a long tradition of rural poets such as Robert Bloomfield and John Clare, and his papers make a fascinating addition to our already substantial poetry collections.”

There is now a growing movement locally and beyond to ensure that Withers’s poetic legacy is recognised and given the credit it deserves.