TheFamousPeople

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

Mary WollstonecraftMary Wollstonecraft
27 April 1759
Writer

William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth
07 April 1770
Poet

P B ShelleyP B Shelley
04 August 1792
Poet
William BlakeWilliam Blake
28 November 1757
Painter

Thomas PaineThomas Paine
29 January 1737
Founding Father of the United States

John KeatsJohn Keats
31 October 1795
Romantic poet
Edmund BurkeEdmund Burke
12 January 1729
Statesman

Samuel JohnsonSamuel Johnson
18 September 1709
Writer
Samuel ColeridgeSamuel Coleridge
21 October 1772
Poet

William GodwinWilliam Godwin
03 March 1756
Journalist

Charles LambCharles Lamb
10 February 1775
Writer & Essayist

Henry FieldingHenry Fielding
22 April 1707
Writer

William CowperWilliam Cowper
26 November 1731
Poet
Oliver GoldsmithOliver Goldsmith
10 November 1728
Novelist, Playwright, Poet

Thomas De QuinceyThomas De Quincey
15 August 1785
Essayist

William HazlittWilliam Hazlitt
10 April 1778
English Writer & Literary Critic

John ClareJohn Clare
13 July 1793
English poet
Leigh HuntLeigh Hunt
19 October 1784
English Essayist, Poet & Critic

Frances BurneyFrances Burney
13 June 1752
Novelist
Anna JamesonAnna Jameson
19 May 1794
Writer, Women Rights Activist

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

Isaac WattsIsaac Watts
17 July 1674
Theologian
Lady Mary Wortley MontaguLady Mary Wortley Montagu
15 May 1689
Writer

James BoswellJames Boswell
18 October 1740
Biographer
Henry FuseliHenry Fuseli
07 February 1741
Writer

Thomas GrayThomas Gray
26 December 1716
Poet, Writer, Literary critic

Laurence SterneLaurence Sterne
24 November 1713
Writer, Novelist, Autobiographer, Religious
William BlackstoneWilliam Blackstone
10 July 1723
Jurist

Continue Reading Below
Elizabeth Cavendish, Duchess of DevonshireElizabeth Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
13 May 1758
Writer
Samuel RichardsonSamuel Richardson
19 August 1689
Writer, Novelist

John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and NormanbyJohn Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby
08 September 1647
Former Lord Privy Seal

Robert KnoxRobert Knox
04 September 1791
Military physician

David GarrickDavid Garrick
19 February 1717
Actor, Playwright, Film producer, Writer,
Eleanor HibbertEleanor Hibbert
01 September 1906
British author
Dorothy WordsworthDorothy Wordsworth
25 December 1771
Author

John EvelynJohn Evelyn
31 October 1620
Writer

Maria EdgeworthMaria Edgeworth
01 January 1768
Writer

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

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

James BruceJames Bruce
14 December 1730
Explorer, Archaeologist, Film editor, Botanist

Charlotte SmithCharlotte Smith
04 May 1749
Writer

Matthew LewisMatthew Lewis
09 July 1775
Novelist
Mary LambMary Lamb
03 December 1764
Author

Thomas HoodThomas Hood
23 May 1799
Writer, Poet
Frederick MarryatFrederick Marryat
10 July 1792
Naval officer

Felicia HemansFelicia Hemans
25 September 1793
Poet

Thomas BewickThomas Bewick
10 August 1753
Engraver
Thomas Love PeacockThomas Love Peacock
18 October 1785
Novelist

Adam FergusonAdam Ferguson
01 July 1723
Philosopher
William CullenWilliam Cullen
15 April 1710
Physician, Chemist, Farmer, Academic, University

John ClelandJohn Cleland
24 September 1709
Novelist

Eliza HaywoodEliza Haywood
1693 AD
British author

Christopher SmartChristopher Smart
11 April 1722
Poet

Samuel HearneSamuel Hearne
31 January 1745
Explorer
Frances WrightFrances Wright
06 September 1795
Writer, Philosopher

Walter Savage LandorWalter Savage Landor
30 January 1775
Author

John BowringJohn Bowring
17 October 1792
Economist

William CollinsWilliam Collins
25 December 1721
Poet
Thomas ChalmersThomas Chalmers
17 March 1780
Mathematician, Theologian, Writer, University

Anna Letitia BarbauldAnna Letitia Barbauld
20 June 1743
Poet
John KebleJohn Keble
25 April 1792
Poet

Gabriele RossettiGabriele Rossetti
28 February 1783
Poet

John Hervey, 2nd Baron HerveyJohn Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey
13 October 1696
Courtier
Arthur YoungArthur Young
11 September 1741
English writer

Sydney SmithSydney Smith
03 June 1771
Cleric, Journalist
George HepplewhiteGeorge Hepplewhite
1727 AD
Cabinetmaker

Horace SmithHorace Smith
31 December 1779
Poet

Mary Anne ClarkeMary Anne Clarke
03 April 1776
Author
Charles Montagu, 1st earl of HalifaxCharles Montagu, 1st earl of Halifax
16 April 1661
Poet

Edward John TrelawnyEdward John Trelawny
13 November 1792
Biographer
George CrabbeGeorge Crabbe
24 December 1754
Poet

Elizabeth MontaguElizabeth Montagu
02 October 1718
Critic

James MontgomeryJames Montgomery
04 November 1771
Poet

John FlaxmanJohn Flaxman
06 July 1755
Painter, Poet, Sculptor, Illustrator
Thomas Jefferson HoggThomas Jefferson Hogg
24 May 1792
Barrister
Hartley ColeridgeHartley Coleridge
19 September 1796
Poet

Robert LowthRobert Lowth
27 November 1710
Author

Pierce Egan, the ElderPierce Egan, the Elder
1772 AD
Writer

Anna SewardAnna Seward
12 December 1747
Writer, Poet, Literary critic
Sarah FieldingSarah Fielding
08 November 1710
Author

Elizabeth CarterElizabeth Carter
16 December 1717
Poet

Mary Russell MitfordMary Russell Mitford
16 December 1787
Author

Helen Maria WilliamsHelen Maria Williams
1761 AD
Novelist

Nicholas RoweNicholas Rowe
20 June 1674
Poet
Watkin TenchWatkin Tench
06 October 1758
Marine Officer

John ByromJohn Byrom
29 February 1692
Poet
Thomas SpenceThomas Spence
21 June 1750
Radical

Charles Lock EastlakeCharles Lock Eastlake
17 November 1793
Painter
Elizabeth InchbaldElizabeth Inchbald
15 October 1753
Novelist
Samuel FooteSamuel Foote
27 January 1720
Playwright, Impresario, Actor, Stage actor, Writer