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Eric Mackay

1831 – 1898

British poet

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About Eric Mackay

Lived 1831 – 1898 (aged 67). Eric Mackay was a British poet and writer.

George Eric Mackay (1835 –2 June 1898 ) was an English minor poet, now remembered as the sponging half-brother of Marie Corelli, the best-selling novelist. Mackay and Corelli, born Mary Mackay, were the children of Charles Mackay, by different mothers (Mary was illegitimate, with Charles marrying her mother subsequently ).

As a poet he is described as "execrable", and reliant on Corelli's promotion of his works. His first works appeared in periodicals in the early 1860s; he achieved some reputation in his time for Love Letters of a Violinist (1886). It sold 35,000 copies; he repaid Corelli's efforts by implying he wrote her novels.

A 1940 biography of Corelli, George Bullock's Marie Corelli: The Life and Death of a Best-Seller, hinted that the relationship was incestuous; this has generally been discounted, though Eric's laziness and lack of scruples are acknowledged.

Mackay's poem "Elëanor" was set to music by British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. (Song published in 1899 by Novello & Co.)

He was interred in Highgate Cemetery on 4 June 1898.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Also known as
George Eric Mackay, G. Eric Mackay, Giorgio Arrigo Mackay

People in Eric Mackay's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Eric Mackay's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Eric Mackay?

British poet

When was Eric Mackay born?

Eric Mackay was born on 25 January 1831 in London.

When did Eric Mackay die?

Eric Mackay died on 2 June 1898 in Kensington.

What was Eric Mackay's occupation?

Eric Mackay was a poet and writer.

What nationality was Eric Mackay?

Eric Mackay was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Eric Mackay

· Wikidata: Q5387019

· DBpedia: Eric Mackay

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Eric Mackay. https://biography.guide/eric-mackay/

MLA: "Eric Mackay." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/eric-mackay/.

Chicago: "Eric Mackay." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/eric-mackay/.

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