Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Frank Donoghue (Ohio State University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

Dates

Born 30 Oct 1751
Died 7 Jul 1816
Activity 1773-1799

Places

Born in Ireland, Republic of (Eire)
Active in England

Activities

Primary

Playwright / Dramatist
Politician

Resources

Richard Brinsley Sheridan was born in Dublin in September 1751, and was baptized on November 4^th. His parents were Thomas and Frances Sheridan, and grew up in what would soon become a celebrated literary family. His grandfather, Dr Thomas Sheridan (1687-1738) had been a school teacher and close friend of Jonathan Swift, twenty years his senior, so the family already considered themselves well connected in Irish letters. Richard's father, Thomas Sheridan (1719-1788), was the author of a controversial but influential Lectures on Elocution which he presented around Britain during a tour in 1762. Richard's mother Frances wrote several popular novels, among them The Memoirs of Sidney Buddulph (1761). Following the S…

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2624 words

Citation: Donoghue, Frank. "Richard Brinsley Sheridan". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 September 2004 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4055, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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