Samuel Richardson (1689-1761)
Samuel Richardson was a prominent English writer during the 18th century. He was best known for writing three novels namely: Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded published in 1740, Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady published in 1748 and Sir Charles Grandison published in 1753.
Interestingly enough Samuel Richardson only published his first novel when he was already 51 years old, having been a respected printer and publisher for most of his life. In spite of his relatively late start in the literary field, Richardson quickly became one of the most respected and well-renowned writers of that period.
Richardson was born on August 19th, 1689 in Mackworth, Derbyshire to Samuel and Elizabeth Richardson. Originally a joiner from Surrey, England, the senior Samuel Richardson was somewhat unflatteringly described by his son as being "of middling note".
Richardson apprenticed at a printer's shop at a very young age where he earned the nicknames "Gravity" and "Serious" which was appropriate given his later literary work. The year 1706 found Richardson at 17 years of age beginning an apprenticeship with John Wilde as a printer, which would last for seven years.
Although initially reluctant to take on this new task, Richardson later relented and felt that this position would help satisfy his great thirst for reading. By the year 1715, Samuel Richardson had managed to become a freeman of the Stationer's Company as well as a citizen of the City of London and after his apprenticeship with John Wilde was over, he set about establishing his own printing business in Salisbury Court.
Samuel Richardson went on to marry John Wilde's daughter, Martha with whom he had six children. It was a somewhat unfortunate marriage however as five of the children died in quick succession. Martha herself died on January 23rd, of 1731 after the death of the fifth child.
The last of their children also died a mere two years after the death of Martha after which Richardson remarried, this time to Elizabeth who was also the daughter of one of his previous employers, John Leake. Out of this union the couple produced five daughters and a son and four of the daughters managed to live to adulthood and survive their father.
Richardson's first known published work was The Apprentice's Vade Mecum a treatise in which he encouraged young men, in a similar situation as him, to practice diligence and self-control. It is widely believed that this literary work was written by Richardson in response to The Epidemic Evils of the Present Age another literary work that was in circulation at that time. The book focuses on the apprentice as being more open to moral development and was particularly vocal in its criticism of many of the popular leisurely pursuits of the day such as theatres, taverns and gambling.
Samuel Richardson is considered by many to be one of the most significant writers of the time and his influence has been traced to writers such as Jane Austen, Goethe and Rousseau.
Samuel Richardson died on July 4th, 1761.
Original Authors: Doods Pangburn
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 21/07/2008
