Evan took an early interest in Welsh poetry. The DNB records an oral poetry performance in 1735 -- an englynion he sang in the eisteddfod held in Cymer, Glamorgan. While apprenticed to Hopkin, Evan worked on mastering the Welsh strict metres and bardic grammar; he composed an ‘exemplifying ode’ -- "a composition incorporating one of each of the canonical twenty-four strict metres" (DNB). He also made some Welsh translations of Pope, Samuel Butler, Bishop Horne, and Isaac Watts. His verse was popular among the Welsh inhabitants of upper Glamorgan.
Eusden exemplifies the sycophantic poet-laureate model. Throughout his literary career, he addressed complimentary verse to influential Whigs in the hopes of receiving patronage. In 1717, one of his patrons, the Duke of Newcastle, made Eusden poet laureate. Eusden's character, in conjunction with his obsequious birthday odes and other conventional laureate duties, prompted much ridicule by the duke of Buckingham, Thomas Cooke, Pope, and Swift, among others.
Erskine was a popular preacher in the Secession church, actively involved during the tumultuous period of schisms within the Presbyterian church. He was an incredibly prolific sermon writer; he also wrote some religious poems and verse 'paraphrases' of biblical texts.
English was a Roman Catholic priest and prominent Gaelic poet; he was actively involved in the Gaelic literary culture along with his fellow poets. About 30 poems survive in MS form, many of which are politically-charged and express strong Jacobite sentiments, most notably ‘Cré agus cill go bhfaghaidh gach bráthair’ (popularly known as ‘The Friar's Firkin’). Most of these were written during the late 1750s, though he wrote poetry throughout his life.
Ellis was a scrivener who wrote original poetry and translated verse. His literary work was usually satirical in nature; some still remains in MS form. He had a relatively wide literary circle, including SJ, and was well-respected.
Edwards was able to live a life of leisure, devoting himself to writing poetry, reading, and gardening, having inherited a large estate on his father's early death. In 1740 he moved to a small farm. His attack on Warburton's edition of Shakespeare made him famous, eliciting SJ's well-known defence of Warburton as a ‘stately horse’ being stung by a fly. Edwards became renowned as a writer of Miltonic sonnets, for which he was highly praised in the Monthly Review.
John Edwards, also known as Siôn y Potiau, was called "the Welsh Poet." His few extant pieces survive only in MS form. He also translated John Bunyon's Pilgrim's Progress into Welsh. Edwards evidently partook in informal bardic meetings or eisteddfodau held in Denbighshire and the vicinity during the 1730s and 1740s, acc. to the DNB.
A gambler, Edgcumbe's financial situation was usually precarious at best; he would lose 20 guineas a day at White's Club. The situation became so bad that a friend secured him a secret service pension of £500 a year. He wrote poetry, but only two pieces are extant. The DNB characterizes them as "of little merit," but they earned Edgcumbe a place in Walpole's Catalogue of the Royal and Noble Authors. Edgcumbe was the recepient of a dedication from Muntz for the former's services to the arts.
A Presbyterian minister and preacher, Earle was a prolific writer of sermons and poems, both of which were well-received. He also wrote some Latin poems. He was well-versed in classical scholarship.
Dyer was a farmer, clergyman, artist, and poet, often writing on pastoral subjects. His major work was 'The Fleece.' Though he composed many of his poems in the '20s and '30s (including 'Grongar Hill, 'The Cambro-Briton,' and 'The Country Walk'), he was not published until later on in life. The DNB characterizes him as "a revolutionary, experimental genius in verse in English."