John Hall-Stevenson facts for kids

John Hall-Stevenson (born in 1718, died in March 1785) was an English country gentleman and writer. In his younger days, he was known as John Hall. He is remembered as "Eugenius" in the famous novels Tristram Shandy and A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy by his good friend, Laurence Sterne.

John Hall-Stevenson's Life Story

John Hall-Stevenson was born to Joseph Hall and Catherine Hall. His mother, Catherine, inherited Skelton Castle in Skelton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, from her brother, Lawson Trotter.

In 1735, when he was seventeen, John started studying at Jesus College, Cambridge. There, he quickly became close friends with Laurence Sterne, who was five years older. They often called each other cousins, even though they weren't known to be related. John enjoyed reading lively and humorous books, especially those by François Rabelais. Around 1738, he left Cambridge without finishing his degree and went on a long trip around Europe, known as the "grand tour."

When he returned to England at age twenty, John married Anne Stevenson. He then added her last name to his own, becoming John Hall-Stevenson. After a historical event called the Jacobite rising of 1745, his uncle Lawson Trotter, who supported the Jacobite cause, had to leave the country. This meant that Skelton Castle came into the possession of John's mother. When she passed away, John inherited the castle, though it was partly in ruins by then.

A Writer and His "Crazy Castle"

John Hall-Stevenson wasn't interested in hunting or other outdoor sports. Instead, he spent his time reading, writing, and entertaining his friends. He wrote poems that were similar to those by Jean de La Fontaine. He also gathered a group of like-minded friends and formed a "club of demoniacks." This club met several times a year at Skelton Castle, which they nicknamed "Crazy Castle."

The members of this club included a clergyman named Robert Lascelles, who was called Pantagruel, along with Zachary Moore, Colonel Hall, Colonel Lee, and Andrew Irvine. When John visited London, he met important figures like John Wilkes and Horace Walpole. He even claimed to be friends with Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

His Books and Stories

John Hall-Stevenson published a poem called Lyric Epistle in 1760. It was written for his friend Sterne to celebrate the success of Tristram Shandy. Some people, like Thomas Gray, thought it was "absolute nonsense."

His more well-known works were Fables for Grown Gentlemen (1761) and Crazy Tales (1762). Crazy Tales described the fun meetings of his friends at Skelton Castle, their "Crazy Castle."

Horace Walpole believed that Hall-Stevenson had "a vast deal of original humour and wit." However, other writers like Tobias Smollett and The Critical Review were not impressed. In response, Hall-Stevenson wrote works like A Nosegay and a Simile for the Reviewers and Two Lyrical Epistles in 1760, criticizing Smollett and his friends. In 1768, Hall-Stevenson wrote A Sentimental Dialogue, which was seen as a playful imitation of his friend Sterne's Tristram Shandy.

Writing About Politics

John Hall-Stevenson also wrote about politics. He often criticized politicians, whether they were from the Whig or Tory parties. Some of his political writings included A Pastoral Cordial (1763), A Pastoral Puke (1764), Makarony Fables (1767), Lyric Consolations (1768), and An Essay upon the King's Friends (1776).

Friendship with Laurence Sterne

John Hall-Stevenson supported his friend Sterne financially at times. Sterne often visited him at Skelton Castle. They enjoyed racing chariots together on the sands at Saltburn. As mentioned earlier, Hall-Stevenson appears as the character "Eugenius" in Sterne's novels Tristram Shandy and A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy. When Sterne passed away, his Sentimental Journey was not finished. Hall-Stevenson then wrote a continuation of the story called Yorick's Sentimental Journey Continued.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1765, John Hall-Stevenson tried to reopen an alum works at Selby Hagg that had been closed for nearly fifty years. However, the business lost money, and he gave it up in 1776. In 1785, he wrote to his grandson, explaining that marrying early and having limited funds had meant he had to live in the countryside.

John Hall-Stevenson died at Skelton Castle in March 1785. His wife lived until 1790. He had two sons. One son, John, died without marrying. His other son, Joseph William Hall-Stevenson (1741–1786), passed away a year after his father. Joseph left behind a son named John Hall-Stevenson (1766–1843), who inherited Skelton Castle and rebuilt it. In 1788, this grandson changed his name to John Wharton. He later became a Member of Parliament for Beverley from 1790 to 1820.

John Hall-Stevenson's collected works were published in three volumes in 1795.