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 BlakeWilliam Blake
28 November 1757
Painter

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

William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth
07 April 1770
Poet
John KeatsJohn Keats
31 October 1795
Romantic poet

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

Henry FieldingHenry Fielding
22 April 1707
Writer
Charles LambCharles Lamb
10 February 1775
Writer & Essayist

William CowperWilliam Cowper
26 November 1731
Poet

Oliver GoldsmithOliver Goldsmith
10 November 1728
Novelist, Playwright, Poet
William HazlittWilliam Hazlitt
10 April 1778
English Writer & Literary Critic

John ClareJohn Clare
13 July 1793
English poet
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

Christopher SmartChristopher Smart
11 April 1722
Poet
Thomas GrayThomas Gray
26 December 1716
Poet, Writer, Literary critic
Henry FuseliHenry Fuseli
07 February 1741
Writer

Samuel RichardsonSamuel Richardson
19 August 1689
Writer, Novelist

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

Isaac WattsIsaac Watts
17 July 1674
Theologian
David GarrickDavid Garrick
19 February 1717
Actor, Playwright, Film producer, Writer,

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Robert KnoxRobert Knox
04 September 1791
Military physician

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

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

Maria EdgeworthMaria Edgeworth
01 January 1768
Writer
John EvelynJohn Evelyn
31 October 1620
Writer

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

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

Dorothy WordsworthDorothy Wordsworth
25 December 1771
Author
Thomas Love PeacockThomas Love Peacock
18 October 1785
Novelist

Walter Savage LandorWalter Savage Landor
30 January 1775
Author
Thomas HoodThomas Hood
23 May 1799
Writer, Poet

John KebleJohn Keble
25 April 1792
Poet

Frederick MarryatFrederick Marryat
10 July 1792
Naval officer

Felicia HemansFelicia Hemans
25 September 1793
Poet

Mary LambMary Lamb
03 December 1764
Author
Thomas BewickThomas Bewick
10 August 1753
Engraver

John ClelandJohn Cleland
24 September 1709
Novelist

Charles BellCharles Bell
12 November 1774
Anatomist, Neuroscientist, Surgeon, Writer,

Eliza HaywoodEliza Haywood
1693 AD
British author
Ephraim ChambersEphraim Chambers
1680 AD
Encyclopaedist

Samuel HearneSamuel Hearne
31 January 1745
Explorer
John BowringJohn Bowring
17 October 1792
Economist

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

Thomas ChalmersThomas Chalmers
17 March 1780
Mathematician, Theologian, Writer, University
James BruceJames Bruce
14 December 1730
Explorer, Archaeologist, Film editor, Botanist

Frances WrightFrances Wright
06 September 1795
Writer, Philosopher
Anna SewardAnna Seward
12 December 1747
Writer, Poet, Literary critic

George CrabbeGeorge Crabbe
24 December 1754
Poet

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

John FlaxmanJohn Flaxman
06 July 1755
Painter, Poet, Sculptor, Illustrator
Thomas Jefferson HoggThomas Jefferson Hogg
24 May 1792
Barrister

John AdairJohn Adair
18 May 1934
Author

Matthew LewisMatthew Lewis
09 July 1775
Novelist

Samuel FooteSamuel Foote
27 January 1720
Playwright, Impresario, Actor, Stage actor, Writer
Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of BlessingtonMarguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington
01 September 1789
Poet, Writer
Anne GrantAnne Grant
21 February 1755
Poet, Historian

James MontgomeryJames Montgomery
04 November 1771
Poet

Abraham TuckerAbraham Tucker
02 September 1705
Philosopher, Writer

Robert PollokRobert Pollok
19 October 1798
Writer, Poet
Charles ChurchillCharles Churchill
31 January 1731
Poet, Writer

Anna Letitia BarbauldAnna Letitia Barbauld
20 June 1743