Henry Fielding 1

Henry Fielding

Henry Fielding

Born 22 April 1707Sharpham, Glastonbury, Somerset, England

Died 8 October 1754 (aged 47)Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal

Pen name "Captain Hercules Vinegar", also some works published anonymously

Occupation Novelist, dramatist

Nationality English

Period 1728–54

Genres satire, picaresque

Literary movement Enlightenment, Augustan Age

Relative(s) Sara Banerji (1900s author)

Henry Fielding (Sharpham, 22 April 1707 – near Lisbon, 8 October 1754) was an English novelist and dramatistknown for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones.Aside from his literary achievements, he has a significant place in the history of law-enforcement, having founded(with his half-brother John) what some have called London's first police force, the Bow Street Runners, using hisauthority as a magistrate. His younger sister, Sarah, also became a successful writer.[1]

Henry Fielding 2

MarriagesFielding married his first wife, Charlotte Craddock, in 1734. She died in 1744.[2] In 1747 he married his wife'sformer maid, Mary Daniel. She was pregnant at the time of their marriage. Mary bore five children, three of whomdied young.

Biography

Writer: dramatist and novelistFielding was educated at Eton College, where he established a lifelong friendship with William Pitt the Elder.[3]

After a romantic episode with a young woman that ended in his getting into trouble with the law, he went to Londonwhere his literary career began.[4] In 1728, he travelled to Leiden to study classics and law at the University.[3]

However, due to lack of money, he was obliged to return to London and he began writing for the theatre, some of hiswork being savagely critical of the contemporary government under Sir Robert Walpole.The Theatrical Licensing Act of 1737 is alleged to be a direct response to his activities.[3][5] The particular play thattriggered the Licensing Act was The Golden Rump, but Fielding's satires had set the tone. Once the Licensing Actpassed, political satire on the stage was virtually impossible, and playwrights whose works were staged were viewedas suspect. Fielding, therefore, retired from the theatre and resumed his career in law and, in order to support his wifeCharlotte Cradock and two children, he became a barrister.[3][5]

His lack of financial sense meant that he and his family often endured periods of poverty, but he was helped byRalph Allen, a wealthy benefactor who later formed the basis of Squire Allworthy in Tom Jones. After Fielding'sdeath, Allen provided for the education and support of his children.Fielding never stopped writing political satire and satires of current arts and letters. His Tragedy of Tragedies of TomThumb (for which Hogarth designed the frontispiece) was, for example, quite successful as a printed play. He alsocontributed a number of works to journals of the day. He wrote for Tory periodicals, usually under the name of"Captain Hercules Vinegar". During the late 1730s and early 1740s Fielding continued to air his liberal andanti-Jacobite views in satirical articles and newspapers. Almost by accident, in anger at the success of SamuelRichardson's Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, Fielding took to writing novels in 1741 and his first major success wasShamela, an anonymous parody of Richardson's melodramatic novel. It is a satire that follows the model of thefamous Tory satirists of the previous generation (Jonathan Swift and John Gay, in particular).He followed this up with Joseph Andrews (1742), an original work supposedly dealing with Pamela's brother,Joseph.[3] Although begun as a parody, this work developed into an accomplished novel in its own right and isconsidered to mark Fielding's debut as a serious novelist. In 1743, he published a novel in the Miscellanies volumeIII (which was the first volume of the Miscellanies). This was The History of the Life of the Late Mr Jonathan Wildthe Great. This novel is sometimes thought of as his first because he almost certainly began composing it before hewrote Shamela and Joseph Andrews. It is a satire of Walpole that draws a parallel between Walpole and JonathanWild, the infamous gang leader and highwayman. He implicitly compares the Whig party in Parliament with a gangof thieves being run by Walpole, whose constant desire to be a "Great Man" (a common epithet for Walpole) shouldculminate only in the antithesis of greatness: being hanged.His anonymously-published The Female Husband (1746) is a fictionalized account of a notorious case in which afemale transvestite was tried for duping another woman into marriage. Though a minor item in Fielding's totaloeuvre, the subject is consistent with his ongoing preoccupation with fraud, sham, and masks. His greatest work wasTom Jones (1749), a meticulously constructed picaresque novel telling the convoluted and hilarious tale of how afoundling came into a fortune. Charlotte, on whom he later modelled the heroines of both Tom Jones and Amelia,died in 1744. Three years later he, disregarding public opinion, married Charlotte's former maid, Mary, who waspregnant.[5]

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The law: jurist and magistrateDespite this scandal, his consistent anti-Jacobitism and support for the Church of England led to him being rewardeda year later with the position of London's Chief Magistrate, and his literary career went from strength to strength.Joined by his younger half-brother John, he helped found what some have called London's first police force, the BowStreet Runners, in 1749.[6]

According to the historian G. M. Trevelyan, they were two of the best magistrates in eighteenth-century London, anddid a great deal to enhance the cause of judicial reform and improve prison conditions. His influential pamphlets andenquiries included a proposal for the abolition of public hangings. This did not, however, imply opposition to capitalpunishment as such—as evident, for example, in his presiding in 1751 over the trial of the notorious criminal JamesField, finding him guilty in a robbery and sentencing him to hang. Despite being now blind, John Fielding succeededhis older brother as Chief Magistrate and became known as the 'Blind Beak' of Bow Street for his ability to recognisecriminals by their voice alone.[7]

In January 1752, Fielding started a biweekly periodical titled The Covent-Garden Journal, which he would publishunder the pseudonym of "Sir Alexander Drawcansir, Knt. Censor of Great Britain" until November of the same year.In this periodical, Fielding directly challenged the "armies of Grub Street" and the contemporary periodical writersof the day in a conflict that would eventually become the Paper War of 1752–3.Fielding's ardent commitment to the cause of justice as a great humanitarian in the 1750s (for instance, his support ofElizabeth Canning) coincided with a rapid deterioration in his health. This continued to such an extent that he wentabroad to Portugal in 1754 in search of a cure. Gout, asthma and other afflictions made him use crutches. He died inLisbon[5] two months later. His tomb is located inside the city's English Cemetery (Cemitério Inglês).

Wild, Jonathan (c.1743) (etching),Henry Fielding.

Henry Fielding gravesite, nearthe Anglican St George church.

Entrance to the Lisbon EnglishCemetery, where HenryFielding's gravesite is.

St George church,the Lisbon

Anglican church.Fielding gravesiteis about 150 feet

away.

Partial list of works• The Masquerade – a poem (Fielding's first publication)• Love in Several Masques – play, 1728• Rape upon Rape – play, 1730. Adapted by Bernard Miles as Lock Up Your Daughters! in 1959, filmed in 1974• The Temple Beau – play, 1730• The Author's Farce – play, 1730• The Letter Writers - play, 1731• The Tragedy of Tragedies; or, The Life and Death of Tom Thumb – play, 1731• Grub-Street Opera – play, 1731• The Modern Husband – play, 1732• The Lotterry - play, 1732• The Covent Garden Tragedy – play, 1732

Henry Fielding 4

• The Miser - play, 1732•• The Intriguing Chambermaid'7 - play, 1734• Pasquin – play, 1736• Eurydice Hiss'd - play, 1737• The Historical Register for the Year 1736 – play, 1737• An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews – novel, 1741• The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and his Friend, Mr. Abraham Abrams – novel, 1742• The Life and Death of Jonathan Wild, the Great – novel, 1743, ironic treatment of Jonathan Wild, the most

notorious underworld figure of the time. Published as Volume 3 of Miscellanies.• Miscellanies – collection of works, 1743, contained the poem Part of Juvenal's Sixth Satire, Modernized in

Burlesque Verse• The Female Husband or the Surprising History of Mrs Mary alias Mr George Hamilton, who was convicted of

having married a young woman of Wells and lived with her as her husband, taken from her own mouth since herconfinement – pamphlet, fictionalized report, 1746

• The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling – novel, 1749• A Journey from this World to the Next – 1749• Amelia – novel, 1751• The Covent Garden Journal – periodical, 1752• Journal of a Voyage to Lisbon – travel narrative, 1755•• The Fathers: Or, the Good-Natur'd Man. - Play, first published in 1778

References[1] "Henry Fielding (1707–1754)" (http:/ / www. litencyc. com/ php/ speople. php?rec=true& UID=1525). The Literary Encyclopedia. .

Retrieved 2009-09-09.[2] "Henry Fielding Henry Fielding (I1744)" (http:/ / www. stanford. edu/ group/ auden/ cgi-bin/ auden/ individual. php?pid=I1744&

ged=auden-bicknell. ged). Stanford University. . Retrieved 27 July 2011.[3] "Henry Fielding" (http:/ / www. thedorsetpage. com/ people/ Henry_Fielding. htm). The Dorset Page. . Retrieved 2009-09-09.[4] Margaret Drabble, ed. (1985). The Oxford Companion to English Literature. Oxford University Press. pp. 347–348.[5] "Henry Fielding (1707–1754)" (http:/ / www. kirjasto. sci. fi/ hfieldin. htm). Books and writers. . Retrieved 2009-09-09.[6] "Henry Fielding" (http:/ / www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/ Jfielding. htm). Spartacus Educational. . Retrieved 2009-09-09.[7] "Words, Words, Words", From the Beginnings to the 18th Century, La Spiga languages, 2003.

External links• Works by Henry Fielding (http:/ / www. gutenberg. org/ author/ Henry+ Fielding) at Project Gutenberg• Works by Henry Fielding (http:/ / www. classicistranieri. com/ english/ indexes/ authf. htm) in e-book• Famous Quotes by Henry Fielding (http:/ / quotationpark. com/ authors/ FIELDING, Henry. html)• Audio books (http:/ / librivox. org/ newcatalog/ search. php?title=& author=Henry+ Fielding& action=Search) of

works by Henry Fielding at Librivox (http:/ / librivox. org)• Portraits of Henry Fielding (http:/ / www. npg. org. uk/ live/ search/ person. asp?LinkID=mp60021) at the

National Portrait Gallery, London• Archival material relating to Henry Fielding (http:/ / www. nationalarchives. gov. uk/ nra/ searches/ subjectView.

asp?ID=P37690) listed at the UK National Register of Archives

Article Sources and Contributors 5

Article Sources and ContributorsHenry Fielding  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=490913366  Contributors: 217.99.96.xxx, Adam Keller, Advance, Airunp, Andrewpmk, Annie L, Anonymous Dissident,Arizonasqueeze, Arteum, AtStart, Beagle Ninja, Bigman50, Bigturtle, Blaxthos, Bmcln1, Boleyn, Brion VIBBER, Brookie, CatherineMunro, Celuici, Charlesdrakew, Clark89,CommonsDelinker, Conversion script, Crystallina, DMG413, DShamen, Davemck, Deb, Dmol, Docu, Doug Coldwell, Dpr, Dreinfeld, Dsp13, Duke, Eloquence, Epbr123, Ewen, Fishface,Flammingo, Flapdragon, Fred Bradstadt, Frjwoolley, Ganymead, Geogre, GoingBatty, Grafen, Graham87, Ground Zero, Hans Dunkelberg, Henry Merrivale, Homagetocatalonia, IRP,Iceaxejuggler, Indisciplined, Ivankinsman, JQF, Jacksteven, Jake Wartenberg, Japanese Searobin, Jauhienij, Jeanenawhitney, John K, John S Moore, Juliancolton, Katharineamy, KoyaanisQatsi,Leandrod, Lee Daniel Crocker, Leolaursen, Lightmouse, Little Mountain 5, Lord Cornwallis, Macphysto, Maefenn, Magnus Manske, Mahlum, Malcolm Farmer, MaryannaNesina,MaryoftheMagdalene, Mav, Maxim, Mindmatrix, Mizmif, Mizpah14, MrDarcy, Musical Linguist, NewAladacia26, Niceguyedc, NicolaevTatiana381L, NocturneNoir, Norm mit, NuclearWarfare,Oatmeal batman, Oliver Chettle, Olivier, Omnipaedista, Oracleofottawa, Ortolan88, Ottava Rima, Pablo X, Parrot of Doom, Paul A, Paul W, Pcpcpc, Pequod76, Philip Cross, PooBumNo.1,Psychless, Raibow, Rajah, Ray Yallop, RivGuySC, Rodw, S h i v a (Visnu), Saga City, Shentoga, Stbalbach, Stepp-Wulf, Stopperettaetta, Tanner566, Tarquin, Tbone, Tony1, TonyTheTiger,UDScott, Unukorno, UtherSRG, Wars, Wholetone, Wik, Windmont, Wintceas, Yoenit, Yomangan, ZeroJanvier, 91 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile:Henry Fielding.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Henry_Fielding.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Doug ColdwellFile:Henry Fielding c 1743 etching from Jonathan Wild the Great.jpg  Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Henry_Fielding_c_1743_etching_from_Jonathan_Wild_the_Great.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Dereckson, Doug Coldwell,FlickreviewR, Parrot of Doom, ÓðinnFile:Henry Fielding grave.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Henry_Fielding_grave.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: Flickr:Tó Lobato / to lobatoFile:Entrance to English Cemetery - Lisbon.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Entrance_to_English_Cemetery_-_Lisbon.jpg  License: Creative CommonsAttribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: Flickr: Tó Lobato / to lobatoFile:St George church.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:St_George_church.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0  Contributors: Flickr:Tó Lobato / to lobato

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