Sir Richard Steele

Born in Dublin in 1672, Richard Steele was educated at the Charterhouse School and at Oxford, though he left without taking a degree. He served in the army before turning to writing, and his early career also included work as a playwright and government writer.

Steele is most often remembered for helping create the periodical essay. With Joseph Addison, he founded The Tatler in 1709 and later worked on The Spectator, papers that became hugely influential for their blend of conversation, humor, social observation, and moral commentary. Their essays helped define a new kind of writing for a growing reading public.

He was also active in politics, sat in Parliament, and was knighted in 1715. Although his life was often financially troubled, his work left a lasting mark on English literature and journalism, and he remains an important voice from the world of the early 1700s.