Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Fry, John (1792-1822)
FRY, JOHN (1792–1822), bookseller and author, was born in 1792. He was always in bad health, and devoted his leisure hours, when connected with the bookselling firm of Thomas Fry & Co., 46 High Street, Bristol, to the study of early English literature. Some of the prefaces of his pieces are dated from Kingsdown, Somersetshire. Besides his published works he left several in manuscript, among them one he styled ‘Bibliophilia,’ editions of the writings of the Rev. William Hamilton and William Browne, and biographical sketches of eminent Bristolians. After a lingering illness he died at Bristol, 28 June 1822, at the age of thirty. He published: 1. ‘Metrical Trifles in Youth,’ Bristol, 1810, 8vo. 2. ‘The Legend of Mary Queen of Scots, and other ancient Poems, now first published from MSS. of the XVIth century, with an Introduction, Notes, &c.,’ London, 1810, 8vo. 3. ‘A Selection from the Poetical Works of Thomas Carew,’ London, 1810, sm. 8vo (commended in ‘British Critic,’ February 1810). 4. ‘Pieces of Ancient Poetry from Unpublished MSS. and Scarce Books,’ Bristol, 1814, 4to (102 copies printed). 5. ‘George Whetstone's Metrical Life of George Gascoigne, 1577,’ Bristol, 1815, 4to (100 copies). 6. ‘Bibliographical Memoranda in illustration of Old English Literature,’ Bristol, 1816, 4to.
[Gent. Mag. December, vol. xcii. pt. ii. p. 566.]