Robert Jephson facts for kids
_(14594066819).jpg)
Robert Jephson (born 1736, died May 31, 1803) was an important Irish writer and politician. He wrote many plays and poems. He also served in the Irish government.
Contents
Robert Jephson's Life
Robert Jephson was born in Ireland. He was a younger son of John Jephson, who was a church leader called an Archdeacon. In 1751, Robert started studying at Trinity College, Dublin. However, he left before finishing his degree.
Early Career and Friends
After leaving college, Robert Jephson joined the British Army. He became an officer in the 73rd Regiment of Foot (1758). He served in the Caribbean, but later left the army because of his health.
Jephson then moved to England. He lived at Hampton Court with William Gerard Hamilton. There, he became friends with many famous people. These friends included the actor David Garrick, the painter Joshua Reynolds, and writers like Oliver Goldsmith and Samuel Johnson.
Return to Ireland and Politics
Robert Jephson moved back to Dublin, Ireland. He got an important job as "master of the horse" to the leader of Ireland, known as the viceroy. This was a high-ranking position helping the viceroy.
He wrote articles for the Mercury newspaper. These articles supported the government's actions. Later, these writings were put together into a book called The Bachelor, or Speculations of Jeoffry Wagstaffe. Because of his work, he was given a pension, which is like regular payments. This pension was later doubled. He kept his job under twelve different viceroys.
In 1773, Jephson became a member of the Irish House of Commons. This was like being a Member of Parliament (MP) in the government. He represented St Johnstown until 1776. From 1777 to 1783, he was an MP for Old Leighlin. Then, from 1783 to 1790, he represented Granard. Robert Jephson passed away in Blackrock, which is near Dublin.
Robert Jephson's Writings
From 1775, Robert Jephson started writing plays. Many of his plays were performed successfully.
Famous Plays
One of his well-known plays was a tragedy called Braganza. It was performed in 1775 at the Drury Lane theatre. Other plays he wrote include The Conspiracy (1796) and Julia (1797). He also wrote The Law of Lombardy in 1779.
His play The Count of Narbonne was performed at Covent Garden in 1781. This play was based on a famous novel by Horace Walpole called The Castle of Otranto. Another play, The Campaign, was performed in 1784 at the Smock Alley Theatre.
Other Works
In 1794, Robert Jephson published a long poem called Roman Portraits. He also wrote The Confessions of Jacques Baptiste Couteau. This was a satire, which means it used humor to criticize something. It made fun of the extreme events of the French Revolution.
