Early life

Elizabeth was born to parents Thomas Ham (a farmer and brewer) and Elizabeth (nee Pope), Elizabeth Ham was the third child born to the couple, and the first girl. She had 7 siblings:

• John (born 1780)
• Thomas (born 1782)
• William (born 1785)
• Ralph (born 1787)
• Mary (born 1791)
• Ann (born 1794)
• James (born 1794)

When Elizabeth was a toddler she was sent to live with various relatives, to lessen the load on her parents. As she grew older she returned to the family home, living with them in assorted villages, Dorchester, and Weymouth. Whilst in Weymouth she met King George III, prior to his insanity, who summered in Weymouth. King George took a liking to her family. Sadly she felt disliked by her mother, who far preferred her daughter Ann to her other children.

Ireland

When Elizabeth was aged 21 she moved with her family to Ireland, spending time in Kilkenny, Tipperary, Carlow, Limerick, Ennis, Galway, Castlebar and Ballina.  Elizabeth’s father, Thomas Ham, hoped to make his money with cheap grain for a brewery sadly without success.

Whilst in Ireland, Elizabeth noted her thoughts on Irish society. During this time she attended balls and parties, and fell in love with a young officer called Mr. Jackson. Sadly it came to nothing, after the aforementioned Mr J (as Elizabeth called him) ended up being a cad. Heartbroken Elizabeth never married.

 Spinster sister turns poet

Upon returning to England, Elizabeth lived with assorted relatives acting as housekeeper, maid, and nurse, without payment.

In her late twenties, Elizabeth began to write verse, and became a teacher at a school near Dorchester. She turned to Unitarianism, which put off some people from employing her as this is a non-conformist faith. In 1820, she became a governess to the children of fellow Unitarianist, the poet Charles Elton, and moved to Bristol.

Elton encouraged Elizabeth with her writing and, in 1822, she published ‘The Infant’s Grammar, or A Picnic Party of the Parts of Speech’, a clever poem about grammar (which remained in print until she died, but for which she received no pay). In 1824 she wrote the narrative poem, ‘Elgiva, or, The Monks’.

Later life

Details of Elizabeth’s life, post 1820, are limited. She had ‘The Remembrance’ published anonymously in 1831. In 1845 she published a romance novel, ‘The Ford Family in Ireland’, based on personal experiences of her time in Ireland. At the age of 65, Elizabeth started to write her autobiography. It’s a charming snapshot into a Georgian/ Victorian child and lady’s life, the social scene, and customs of the day, wrapped up in personal stories and historical events.

Death

Elizabeth spent the 1840s and 1850s, until her death in 1859, living at Wick House in Brislington, where she was a housekeeper. She died aged 76 at Wick House. An abridged version of her autobiography was posthumously published in 1945 as ‘Elizabeth Ham by herself, 1783-1820’, which was edited and introduced by Eric Gillett.  Portions of the autobiography were published in the BBC’s ‘Listener’ magazine and broadcast on the radio.