Richard Tickell

Born in Bath in 1751, Richard Tickell was an English pamphleteer and dramatist, and a grandson of the poet Thomas Tickell. He entered the Middle Temple in 1768, was called to the bar, and for a time worked as a commissioner of bankrupts before moving more fully into literary and political writing.

Tickell found success in the theatre with The Camp, a musical entertainment staged at Drury Lane in 1778. He is best remembered for Anticipation, a satirical pamphlet published the same year that imagined the coming parliamentary session and won wide attention for its wit. His connections with figures such as David Garrick and supporters of Lord North helped him secure government patronage, including a pension and later a post in the stamp office.

He married Sarah Ley in 1789. Tickell died in 1793, reportedly after jumping from a window during a period of mental distress. Though his life was short, his reputation rests on the speed, humor, and theatrical energy of his political satire.