1 3 ▁December ▁ 1 8 5 7 ) ▁was ▁a ▁British ▁poet . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Richard ▁F urn ess ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁" The ▁Po et ▁of ▁E y am " ▁after ▁the ▁village ▁in ▁Derby shire , ▁England ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 2 ▁August ▁ 1 7 9 1 . ▁His ▁parents , ▁Samuel ▁and ▁Margaret ▁sent ▁him ▁to ▁school , ▁although ▁he ▁could ▁already ▁read ▁flu ently ▁by ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁four . ▁He ▁initially ▁got ▁a ▁job ▁keeping ▁accounts ▁locally ▁but ▁then ▁went ▁to ▁app rent ice ▁as ▁a ▁cou rier ▁in ▁Ch ester field ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁four teen . ▁He ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁extend ▁his ▁lingu istic ▁skills ▁by ▁learning ▁French ▁from ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war . ▁He ▁lear nt ▁math s ▁and ▁music ▁and ▁at ▁age ▁of ▁sevent een ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁Wes ley an ▁pre acher . ▁ ▁Four ▁years ▁later ▁he ▁walked ▁to ▁London , ▁and ▁en list ed ▁as ▁a ▁soldier . ▁He ▁did ▁not , ▁however , ▁give ▁up ▁pre aching . ▁At ▁the ▁request ▁of ▁Dr . ▁Adam ▁Clar ke , ▁he ▁spoke ▁at ▁the ▁City ▁Road ▁Chap el . ▁After ▁a ▁year ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Derby shire . ▁He ▁separated ▁from ▁the ▁Method ists ▁about ▁this ▁time ▁because ▁he ▁wrote ▁a ▁patri otic ▁song ▁which ▁was ▁s ung ▁in ▁a ▁public - house . ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 3 ▁he ▁started ▁business ▁at ▁E y am ▁as ▁a ▁cur rier , ▁but ▁trade ▁was ▁neglect ed ▁for