Novelist and playwright Henry
Fielding was born on April 22, 1707 in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. He was
the son of a army lieutenant and a judge's daughter, and was educated at Eton and
the University of Leiden before returning to England where he wrote a series of
farces, operas and light comedies. Fielding formed his own company and was
running the Little Theatre, Haymarket, when one of his satirical plays upset
the government, which resulted in the Theatrical Licensing Act in 1737
effectively ended Fielding's career as a playwright. In 1739 Fielding turned to
journalism and became editor of The
Champion. He also began writing novels such as The Adventures of Joseph Andrews (1742), Abraham Adams (1842) and Jonathan
Wild (1743). Fielding was made a justice of the peace for Westminster and Middlesex
in 1748. He campaigned against legal corruption and helped his half-brother,
Sir John Fielding, establish the Bow Street Runners. In 1749 Fielding's novel, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling was
published to public acclaim. Literary historians generally agree that it is one of
the greatest comic novels in British literature. Fielding followed this success
with another well received novel, Amelia
(1751). Fielding continued as a journalist and his satirical journal, Covent Garden, and continued to upset
those in power. Throughout his life, Fielding suffered from poor health and by
1752 he could not move without the help of crutches. In an attempt to overcome
his health problems, he traveled to Portugal and died there on October 8, 1754.
Michael Thomas Barry is the
author of Great Britain’s Literary Legends. His book can be purchased
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