John Close

John Close, also known as Poet Close, was born on 11 August 1816 at Gunnerside and died at Kirkby Stephen on 15 February 1891. He was an enterprising and prolific writer of working class origin who catered to the English Lake District tourist trade. Of only local significance before 1860, what brought him national notoriety was his being granted and then stripped of a Civil List pension that year.