Thomas Cannon (author) facts for kids
Thomas Cannon (born 1720, year of death unknown) was an English writer from the 18th century. He lived in Gray's Inn, a famous legal area in London. Cannon wrote a book called Ancient and Modern ... Investigated and Exemplify'd in 1749. This book shared ideas that were very new and different for his time. He might also have worked with another writer named John Cleland.
Early Life and Challenges
Thomas Cannon was the son of Robert Cannon, who was a high-ranking church official called the Dean of Lincoln. Thomas Cannon had a big disagreement with John Cleland. This disagreement led to some difficult times for Cannon.
In 1748, John Cleland was put in prison because he owed money to Cannon and another person. While Cleland was in prison, he published a book. Later, Cannon made a complaint against Cleland, saying Cleland was sending him mean letters. Cleland then made serious accusations against Cannon.
The Pamphlet and Its Impact
Cannon's book, or "pamphlet," contained ideas that were not widely accepted. Even though the book was controversial, it might not have caused much trouble if Cleland had not brought it to the attention of important people. After Cleland was released from prison, he was arrested again for his own book. Cleland then told the law clerk of the Duke of Newcastle about Cannon's pamphlet. This led to the Duke of Newcastle asking for Cannon to be investigated.
Cannon and the person who printed his book were arrested. They were later released after paying a large sum of money as bail. Cannon then left England for three years. The printer, however, was found guilty and had to pay a fine. He was also put in prison for a month and faced public punishment.
Return to England
Cannon's mother asked the Duke of Newcastle to drop the charges against her son. She said that Thomas was sorry and wanted to come back to England. She also mentioned he wanted to publish a new text to take back what he had written before. However, no such text was ever found.
After returning to England, Thomas Cannon lived a quiet life. He stayed in Windsor with his mother and sisters. He never again took part in public life or writing.
The Lost Book
For a long time, it was thought that no copies of Cannon's pamphlet had survived. The book was believed to be lost to history. But in 2003, parts of the book were discovered. These parts were found as quotes in the original legal papers against the printer. These papers were kept in the records of the King's Bench.
The text was finally published in a magazine called Eighteenth-Century Life in 2007. The rediscovered text includes lines like: "Unnatural Desire is a Contradiction in Terms; downright Nonsense. Desire is an amatory Impulse of the inmost human Parts: Are not they, however constructed, and consequently impelling, Nature?"
