![Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) - Sir Richard Steele - NPG 3227 - National Portrait Gallery](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Godfrey_Kneller_%281646-1723%29_-_Sir_Richard_Steele_-_NPG_3227_-_National_Portrait_Gallery.jpg)
Sir Richard Steele (bap. 12 March 1672 – 1 September 1729) was an
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...
writer, playwright, and politician, remembered as co-founder, with his friend
Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison (1 May 1672 – 17 June 1719) was an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician. He was the eldest son of The Reverend Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend Richard S ...
, of the magazine ''
The Spectator
''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world.
It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''The ...
''.
Early life
Steele was born in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, in March 1672 to Richard Steele, a wealthy attorney, and Elinor Symes (''née'' Sheyles); his sister Katherine was born the previous year. He was the grandson of Sir
William Steele,
Lord Chancellor of Ireland and his first wife Elizabeth Godfrey. His father lived at Mountown House,
Monkstown, County Dublin
Monkstown (), historically known as ''Carrickbrennan'' ( gle, Carraig Bhraonáin), is a suburb in south Dublin, located in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. It is on the coast, between Blackrock and Dún Laoghaire.
The lands of the Carrickb ...
. His mother, of whose family background little is known, was described as a woman of "great beauty and noble spirit".
His father died when he was four, and his mother a year later. Steele was largely raised by his uncle and aunt, Henry Gascoigne (secretary to
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde
Lieutenant-General James FitzThomas Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond, KG, PC (19 October 1610 – 21 July 1688), was a statesman and soldier, known as Earl of Ormond from 1634 to 1642 and Marquess of Ormond from 1642 to 1661. Following the failur ...
), and Lady Katherine Mildmay.
A member of the Protestant gentry, he was educated at
Charterhouse School, where he first met Addison. After starting at
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...
, he went on to
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of Oxford University, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the ...
, then joined the
Life Guards of the
Household Cavalry
The Household Cavalry (HCav) is made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army, the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). These regiments are divided between the Household Cavalry Regiment sta ...
in order to support King William's
wars against France. He was commissioned in 1697, and rose to the rank of captain within two years. Steele left the army in 1705, perhaps due to the death of the 34th Foot's commanding officer,
Lord Lucas, which limited his opportunities of promotion.
In 1706 Steele was appointed to a position in the household of
Prince George of Denmark
Prince George of Denmark ( da, Jørgen; 2 April 165328 October 1708) was the husband of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. He was the consort of the British monarch from Anne's accession on 8 March 1702 until his death in 1708.
The marriage of Georg ...
, consort of
Anne, Queen of Great Britain
Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from 8 March 1702 until 1 May 1707. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, the kingdoms of England and Scotland united as a single sovereign state known as ...
. He also gained the favour of
Robert Harley,
Earl of Oxford.
In politics
Steele became a
Whig Member of Parliament in 1713, for
Stockbridge. He was soon expelled for issuing a pamphlet in favour of the
Hanoverian succession
The Act of Settlement is an Act of the Parliament of England that settled the succession to the English and Irish crowns to only Protestants, which passed in 1701. More specifically, anyone who became a Roman Catholic, or who married one, bec ...
. When
George I of Great Britain
George I (George Louis; ; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 and ruler of the Electorate of Hanover within the Holy Roman Empire from 23 January 1698 until his death in 1727. He was the first ...
came to the throne in the following year, Steele was knighted and given responsibility for the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...
, London. He returned to parliament in 1715, for
Boroughbridge
Boroughbridge () is a town and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is north-west of the county town of York. Until a bypass was built the town lay on t ...
.
While at Drury Lane, Steele wrote and directed the
sentimental comedy Sentimental comedy is an 18th-century dramatic genre which sprang up as a reaction to the immoral tone of English Restoration plays. In sentimental comedies, middle-class protagonists triumphantly overcome a series of moral trials. These plays aimed ...
''
The Conscious Lovers
''The Conscious Lovers'' is a sentimental comedy written in five acts by the Irish author Richard Steele. ''The Conscious Lovers'' appeared on stage on 7 November 1722, at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and was an immediate success, with an initia ...
'', which was an immediate hit. However, he fell out with Addison and with the administration over the
Peerage Bill
{{short description, Proposed British law of 1719
The Peerage Bill was a 1719 measure proposed by the British Whig government led by James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope and Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland which would have largely halted the ...
(1719), and in 1724 he retired to his second wife's homeland of
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, where he spent the remainder of his life.
Steele was a member of the
Kit-Kat Club
The Kit-Cat Club (sometimes Kit Kat Club) was an early 18th-century English club in London with strong political and literary associations. Members of the club were committed Whigs. They met at the Trumpet tavern in London and at Water Oakley ...
. Both Steele and Addison became closely associated with Child's Coffee-house in
St Paul's Churchyard
St Paul's Churchyard is an area immediately around St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London. It included St Paul's Cross and Paternoster Row. It became one of the principal marketplaces in London. St Paul's Cross was an open-air pulpit from whi ...
.
Later life
![Sir Richard Steele's House at Llangunnor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Sir_Richard_Steele%27s_House_at_Llangunnor.jpeg)
Steele remained in Carmarthen after his wife Mary's death, and was buried there, at
St Peter's Church. During the restoration of the church in 2000, his skull was discovered in a lead casket, having previously been accidentally disinterred during the 1870s.
Works
Steele's first published work, ''The Christian Hero'' (1701), attempted to point out the differences between perceived and actual masculinity. Written while Steele served in the army, it expressed his idea of a pamphlet of moral instruction. ''The Christian Hero'' was ultimately ridiculed for what some thought was hypocrisy because Steele did not necessarily follow his own preaching. He was criticized for publishing a booklet about morals when he himself enjoyed drinking, occasional duelling, and debauchery around town.
Steele wrote a comedy that same year titled ''The Funeral''. This play met with wide success and was performed at Drury Lane, bringing him to the attention of the King and the Whig party. Next, Steele wrote ''
The Lying Lover'', one of the first sentimental comedies, but a failure on stage.
In 1705, Steele wrote ''The Tender Husband'' with contributions from Addison, and later that year wrote the prologue to ''The Mistake'', by
John Vanbrugh
Sir John Vanbrugh (; 24 January 1664 (baptised) – 26 March 1726) was an English architect, dramatist and herald, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restora ...
, also an important member of the Whig Kit-Kat Club with Addison and Steele. In 1709, he wrote ''Isaac Bickerstaff, Physician and Astrologer''. He wrote a
preface
__NOTOC__
A preface () or proem () is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a '' foreword'' and precedes an author's preface. The preface often closes ...
to Addison's 1716 comedy play ''
The Drummer''.
Publications
![Joseph Addison and Richard Steele](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Joseph_Addison_and_Richard_Steele.jpg)
''
The Tatler
''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...
'', Steele's first journal, first came out on 12 April 1709, and appeared three times a week: on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Steele wrote this periodical under the pseudonym
Isaac Bickerstaff and gave Bickerstaff an entire, fully developed personality.
Steele described his motive in writing ''The Tatler'' as "to expose the false arts of life, to pull off the disguises of cunning, vanity, and affectation, and to recommend a general simplicity in our dress, our discourse, and our behaviour".
Steele founded the magazine, and although he and Addison collaborated, Steele wrote the majority of the essays; Steele wrote roughly 188 of the 271 total and Addison 42, with 36 representing the pair's collaborative works. While Addison contributed to ''The Tatler'', it is widely regarded as Steele's work.
''The Tatler'' was closed down to avoid the complications of running a Whig publication that had come under Tory attack. Addison and Steele then founded ''
The Spectator
''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world.
It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''The ...
'' in 1711 and also ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' in 1713.
Family
In 1705, Steele married a widow, Margaret Stretch, who died in the following year. After Margaret's death, a
slave plantation
A slave plantation was an agricultural farm that used enslaved people for labour. The practice was abolished in most places during the 19th century.
Slavery
Planters embraced the use of slaves mainly because indentured labor became expensive ...
she owned in
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
came into the ownership of Steele. At her funeral he met his second wife,
Mary Scurlock, whom he nicknamed "Prue" and married in 1707. In the course of their courtship and marriage, he wrote over 400 letters to her. Mary died in 1718, at a time when she was considering separation. Their daughter, Elizabeth (Steele's only surviving legitimate child), married John Trevor, 3rd
Baron Trevor
Baron Trevor is a title that has been created three times. It was created first in 1662 in the Peerage of Ireland along with the viscountcy of Dungannon. For information on this creation, which became extinct in 1706, see Viscount Dungannon.
T ...
.
Steele had an illegitimate child, Elizabeth Ousley, whom he later adopted.
In literature
Steele plays a minor role in the novel ''
The History of Henry Esmond
''The History of Henry Esmond'' is a historical novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, originally published in 1852. The book tells the story of the early life of Henry Esmond, a colonel in the service of Queen Anne of England. A typical exam ...
'' by
William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray (; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was a British novelist, author and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel ''Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portrait of British society, and t ...
. It is during his time with the Life Guards, where he is mostly referred to as Dick the Scholar and makes mention of his friend "Joe Addison". Thackeray depicts Steele in glowing terms as a warm, generous, talented mentor who befriends the title character in his youth and remains loyal to him for years despite their political differences.
See also
*
List of abolitionist forerunners
Thomas Clarkson (1760–1846), the pioneering English abolitionist, prepared a "map" of the "streams" of "forerunners and coadjutors" of the abolitionist movement, which he published in his work, ''The History of the Rise, Progress, and Accompl ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
Essays by Steele at Quotidiana.org*
luminarium.org
Profile libraryireland.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steele, Richard
1672 births
1729 deaths
Politicians from County Dublin
British magazine founders
British magazine publishers (people)
Irish male dramatists and playwrights
Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
People educated at Charterhouse School
Alumni of Merton College, Oxford
British MPs 1713–1715
British MPs 1715–1722
British MPs 1722–1727
Irish magazine editors
Irish slave owners
17th-century Irish people
18th-century Irish dramatists and playwrights
Members of the Kit-Kat Club
Expelled members of the Parliament of Great Britain
18th-century Irish male writers
Knights Bachelor