Thomas Sheridan

Conrad Brunstrom (Maynooth University)
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The Sheridans can plausibly claim to be the most talented family in Irish public life in the eighteenth century. Thomas Sheridan (1719-1788), actor-manager elocutionist, was son to Thomas Sheridan, poet and clergyman, husband to Frances Sheridan, novelist and dramatist, and father to Richard Brinsley Sheridan, dramatist and politician.

The younger Thomas Sheridan emerges as one of the most intriguingly influential cultural figures of the eighteenth century. Equally significant as an actor-manager and as an elocution teacher, Sheridan exemplifies an eighteenth-century phonocentric agenda that regarded public speaking as an essential aspect of virtuous civic participation.  

The younger Thomas Sheridan emerges as one of the most intriguingly influential cultural figures of the eighteenth…

1223 words

Citation: Brunstrom, Conrad. "Thomas Sheridan". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 January 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=13828, accessed 29 March 2024.]

13828 Thomas Sheridan 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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