Famous 18th Century British Writers

Find out more about the greatest 18th Century British Writers, including Lord Byron, Jane Austen, William Blake, Thomas Paine and William Wordsworth.
Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin
17 January 1706
Founding Father of the United States
Jane AustenJane Austen
16 December 1775
Novelist

Mary ShelleyMary Shelley
30 August 1797
Novelist

William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth
07 April 1770
Poet

William BlakeWilliam Blake
28 November 1757
Painter

John KeatsJohn Keats
31 October 1795
Romantic poet
Thomas PaineThomas Paine
29 January 1737
Founding Father of the United States

Mary WollstonecraftMary Wollstonecraft
27 April 1759
Writer

Edmund BurkeEdmund Burke
12 January 1729
Statesman
Samuel JohnsonSamuel Johnson
18 September 1709
Writer

William GodwinWilliam Godwin
03 March 1756
Journalist
Charles LambCharles Lamb
10 February 1775
Writer & Essayist

Henry FieldingHenry Fielding
22 April 1707
Writer

Oliver GoldsmithOliver Goldsmith
10 November 1728
Novelist, Playwright, Poet

William CowperWilliam Cowper
26 November 1731
Poet

John ClareJohn Clare
13 July 1793
English poet
William HazlittWilliam Hazlitt
10 April 1778
English Writer & Literary Critic

Thomas De QuinceyThomas De Quincey
15 August 1785
Essayist

Leigh HuntLeigh Hunt
19 October 1784
English Essayist, Poet & Critic

Frances BurneyFrances Burney
13 June 1752
Novelist
Samuel ColeridgeSamuel Coleridge
21 October 1772
Poet

P B ShelleyP B Shelley
04 August 1792
Poet
Anna JamesonAnna Jameson
19 May 1794
Writer, Women Rights Activist

Percy Bysshe ShelleyPercy Bysshe Shelley
04 August 1792
Linguist, Poet, Translator, Writer, Playwright,

Anne ListerAnne Lister
03 April 1791
Writer
Henry FuseliHenry Fuseli
07 February 1741
Writer

Thomas GrayThomas Gray
26 December 1716
Poet, Writer, Literary critic
Samuel RichardsonSamuel Richardson
19 August 1689
Writer, Novelist

Laurence SterneLaurence Sterne
24 November 1713
Writer, Novelist, Autobiographer, Religious

Christopher SmartChristopher Smart
11 April 1722
Poet
Isaac WattsIsaac Watts
17 July 1674
Theologian

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James BoswellJames Boswell
18 October 1740
Biographer
William BlackstoneWilliam Blackstone
10 July 1723
Jurist

David GarrickDavid Garrick
19 February 1717
Actor, Playwright, Film producer, Writer,

William WhewellWilliam Whewell
24 May 1794
Economist, Physicist, Historian, Philosopher,

Maria EdgeworthMaria Edgeworth
01 January 1768
Writer
Robert KnoxRobert Knox
04 September 1791
Military physician
Dorothy WordsworthDorothy Wordsworth
25 December 1771
Author

John EvelynJohn Evelyn
31 October 1620
Writer

David BrewsterDavid Brewster
11 December 1781
Botanist, Civil engineer, Physicist, Engineer,

Tobias SmollettTobias Smollett
19 March 1721
Author
Hannah MoreHannah More
02 February 1745
Writer, Poet, Essayist

Thomas Love PeacockThomas Love Peacock
18 October 1785
Novelist

Adam FergusonAdam Ferguson
20 June 1723
Philosopher, Librarian, Historian, Soldier,

Frederick MarryatFrederick Marryat
10 July 1792
Naval officer

Felicia HemansFelicia Hemans
25 September 1793
Poet
Walter Savage LandorWalter Savage Landor
30 January 1775
Author

James BruceJames Bruce
14 December 1730
Explorer, Archaeologist, Film editor, Botanist
Frances WrightFrances Wright
06 September 1795
Writer, Philosopher

Thomas ChalmersThomas Chalmers
17 March 1780
Mathematician, Theologian, Writer, University

Mary LambMary Lamb
03 December 1764
Author
John ClelandJohn Cleland
24 September 1709
Novelist

Eliza HaywoodEliza Haywood
1693 AD
British author
Thomas HoodThomas Hood
23 May 1799
Writer, Poet

William CullenWilliam Cullen
15 April 1710
Physician, Chemist, Farmer, Academic, University

George HepplewhiteGeorge Hepplewhite
1727 AD
Cabinetmaker

Thomas BewickThomas Bewick
10 August 1753
Engraver

John KebleJohn Keble
25 April 1792
Poet
Anna SewardAnna Seward
12 December 1747
Writer, Poet, Literary critic

John BowringJohn Bowring
17 October 1792
Economist

Edward John TrelawnyEdward John Trelawny
13 November 1792
Biographer

Elizabeth CarterElizabeth Carter
16 December 1717
Poet
Ephraim ChambersEphraim Chambers
1680 AD
Encyclopaedist

Sydney SmithSydney Smith
03 June 1771
Cleric, Journalist
George CrabbeGeorge Crabbe
24 December 1754
Poet

John AdairJohn Adair
18 May 1934
Author

Elizabeth MontaguElizabeth Montagu
02 October 1718
Critic
John FlaxmanJohn Flaxman
06 July 1755
Painter, Poet, Sculptor, Illustrator

Samuel HearneSamuel Hearne
31 January 1745
Explorer
Gabriele RossettiGabriele Rossetti
28 February 1783
Poet

Robert LowthRobert Lowth
27 November 1710
Author

John ByromJohn Byrom
29 February 1692
Poet
Sarah FieldingSarah Fielding
08 November 1710
Author

Thomas SpenceThomas Spence
21 June 1750
Radical
Thomas Jefferson HoggThomas Jefferson Hogg
24 May 1792
Barrister

William HoneWilliam Hone
03 June 1780
Writer

Watkin TenchWatkin Tench
06 October 1758
Marine Officer

Susanna RowsonSusanna Rowson
1762 AD
Novelist
Elizabeth InchbaldElizabeth Inchbald
15 October 1753
Novelist
Samuel FooteSamuel Foote
27 January 1720
Playwright, Impresario, Actor, Stage actor, Writer

Mary Russell MitfordMary Russell Mitford
16 December 1787
Author

Hartley ColeridgeHartley Coleridge
19 September 1796
Poet

Charles DibdinCharles Dibdin
04 March 1745
Composer
Charlotte LennoxCharlotte Lennox
1730 AD
Author

Samuel RogersSamuel Rogers
30 July 1763
Poet

Jeremy CollierJeremy Collier
23 September 1650
Theatre Critic

Celia FiennesCelia Fiennes
07 June 1662
Traveller

Thomas WartonThomas Warton
09 January 1728
Literary historian
Thomas Edward BowdichThomas Edward Bowdich
20 June 1791
Traveler

Amelia OpieAmelia Opie
12 November 1769
Novelist and poet
Charles Lock EastlakeCharles Lock Eastlake
17 November 1793
Painter

Jane MarcetJane Marcet
01 January 1769
Writer
Richard CarlileRichard Carlile
08 December 1790
Journalist
Helen Maria WilliamsHelen Maria Williams
1761 AD
Novelist