Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Inman, George Ellis
INMAN, GEORGE ELLIS (1814–1840), song-writer, born in 1814, and well educated, was for some time clerk in the office of a firm of wine merchants in Crutched Friars, London. He obtained some reputation as a song-writer, fell a victim to opium-taking, and committed suicide on 26 Sept. 1840 in St. James's Park.
Two compositions of his, ‘The Days of Yore’ and ‘St. George's Flag of England,’ gained prizes of ten and fifteen guineas respectively from the Melodists' Club in 1838 and 1840. Other songs of his were ‘Sweet Mary mine,’ which enjoyed a concert season's popularity; ‘My Native Hills,’ set to music by Sir Henry Bishop; and ‘Wake, wake, my Love,’ set to music by Raffaelle Angelo Wallis. He wrote the libretto for Wallis's opera, ‘The Arcadians.’ He also contributed to various magazines. In the ‘Bentley Ballads,’ edited by Dr. Doran (new edition, 1861), are included two vigorous poems of his, ‘Old Morgan at Panama’ (p. 17) and ‘Haroun Alraschid’ (p. 80). In ‘La Belle Assemblée’ for September 1844 appeared posthumously a piece by him, ‘Le premier Grenadier des Armées de la République.’ He is said to have published a small volume of poems (Notes and Queries, 4th ser. v. 326).
[Globe newspaper, 28 Sept. 1840, p. 4, and 30 Sept. p. 4; Gent. Mag. November 1840, p. 550; Notes and Queries, 4th ser. v. 225–6.]