Thomas Day (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Day
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Thomas Day by Joseph Wright of Derby (1770); National Portrait Gallery, London
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| Born | 22 June 1748 London |
| Died | 28 September 1789 (aged 41) Barehill, Berkshire |
| Occupation | Author, Lawyer |
| Nationality | British |
| Genre | Children's literature, politics, satire |
| Notable works | The History of Sandford and Merton |
| Spouse | Esther Milnes |
Thomas Day (born June 22, 1748 – died September 28, 1789) was a British writer and an abolitionist. An abolitionist is someone who wanted to end slavery. He was famous for his book The History of Sandford and Merton, which was published between 1783 and 1789. This book shared ideas from Jean-Jacques Rousseau about how children should be taught. Thomas Day also wrote against slavery and had strong opinions about the American Revolution. He even tried an unusual experiment to educate young girls based on his ideas.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Thomas Day was born in London on June 22, 1748. He was the only child of Thomas and Jane Day. His father passed away when Thomas was only about one year old, but he inherited a lot of money.
He first went to a school in Stoke Newington, near London. After getting sick with smallpox, which left marks on his face, he moved to Charterhouse School. Later, he attended Corpus Christi College at the University of Oxford. While there, he became very good at debating and became close friends with William Jones. He left Oxford in 1767 without finishing his degree.
Thomas Day's Life and Ideas
In 1766, Day moved back to his family home in Barehill, Berkshire. There, he met Richard Lovell Edgeworth, who was an educator and inventor with new ideas. They became very good friends.
Education Experiments
Day and Edgeworth decided to educate Edgeworth's son, Dick, using the ideas from Jean-Jacques Rousseau's book Emile. This project made Day a strong believer in Rousseau's teaching methods. In 1769, he even said that if all books in the world were destroyed, he would save only the Bible and Emile. Day, Edgeworth, and his son later visited Rousseau in France.
Because of his friendship with Edgeworth, Day joined the Lunar Society in Lichfield. This group was made up of important thinkers and scientists. Even though he called himself a philosopher, not a scientist, he became friends with Erasmus Darwin and Anna Seward.
An Unusual Education Project
After his first education project, Day started another one. He wanted to educate a young girl using his special methods. He believed she should love reading and learning, and be brave and simple in her life.
He took in two young girls, whom he called Sabrina Sidney and Lucretia, to educate them. He took them to France in 1769. He wanted to teach them without outside influences.
In 1770, Day decided that Lucretia was not the right fit for his project, so he sent her back to England. He continued with Sabrina. He tried to teach her to be fearless, sometimes using difficult methods. By 1771, Day decided to end this experiment and sent Sabrina to a boarding school.
Later, Thomas Day met Esther Milnes (1753–1792), who had inherited money. They got married on August 7, 1778. They lived a very simple life. In 1780, they moved to Anningsley in Surrey. There, they worked to help improve the lives of working-class people around them.
Writing and Political Views
In 1773, Day published his first work, a poem called The Dying Negro. He wrote it with John Bicknell. The poem was about a runaway slave and sold very well.
Thomas Day was a strong supporter of ending slavery. When the United States Declaration of Independence was published, some people noticed that it said "all men are created equal," but many Americans still owned slaves. Day pointed out this problem in 1776, saying it was strange for an American patriot to fight for freedom while owning slaves.
Day also studied law and became a lawyer in 1776, but he did not practice law very often. He wrote poems and pamphlets supporting the rights of American colonists. In 1780, he spoke in Parliament, asking for peace with the American revolutionaries and for changes in how Parliament worked.
Books for Children
Thomas Day became most famous for his books for children. The History of Little Jack (1787) was very popular. However, his most successful book was The History of Sandford and Merton (published in parts from 1783 to 1789). This book was a bestseller for over 100 years!
The story is about Tommy Merton, a rich but spoiled boy, and his poor but good friend Harry Sandford. Through different challenges and stories, Harry and their tutor teach Tommy how important it is to work hard and why being lazy is not good.
Death
On September 28, 1789, Thomas Day was riding his horse at Barehill, Berkshire. He was trying to train the horse using gentle methods when he was thrown off. He died almost right away. He was buried at St Mary's Church in Wargrave, Berkshire.
See also
