author
Thomas Sheridan
1719–1788
An Irish actor, theater manager, and pioneering teacher of speech, he helped turn elocution into a serious subject in the 18th century. He is also remembered as the father of playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
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About the author
Born around 1719 in Ireland, Thomas Sheridan built a varied career as an actor, theater manager, writer, and teacher of elocution. Sources agree that he became one of the best-known champions of clear, expressive speech, and his work helped popularize the elocution movement in Britain and Ireland.
Sheridan performed on stage and managed theaters, while also publishing works on pronunciation, reading, and education. He was closely associated with the idea that spoken delivery mattered not just in acting, but in public life and learning more broadly.
He died on August 14, 1788, at Margate in Kent. Beyond his own writings and performances, he is often remembered today both for his influence on spoken English and as the father of dramatist Richard Brinsley Sheridan.