Thomas Francklin facts for kids

Thomas Francklin (born 1721 – died 15 March 1784) was an English teacher, church leader, writer, and play creator. He lived during a time when many new ideas were being shared.

Life Story

Thomas Francklin was the son of Richard Francklin, a bookseller in London. His father printed a newspaper called The Craftsman. In 1735, Thomas started attending Westminster School. A powerful person named William Pulteney suggested he study to become a church leader.

In 1739, Thomas went to Trinity College, Cambridge. He earned his first degree in 1742 and continued his studies. He became a fellow (a senior member) of the college in 1745 and lived there until 1758.

For a while, he worked as a teacher at Westminster School. Then, in 1750, he became the Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge University. Later that year, he had a disagreement with the university leaders. He was at a meeting with other former Westminster students when university officials told them to leave. This led to a public argument, and Francklin wrote a pamphlet about it.

In 1759, he left his professorship. He became the vicar of Ware, Hertfordshire, a church leader at St Paul's, Covent Garden, and also led a chapel in London. He was chosen as the king's chaplain in 1767. In 1777, he became the rector of Brasted in Kent, thanks to Archbishop Frederick Cornwallis.

Thomas Francklin passed away in London on 15 March 1784. He was married to Miss Venables, and she died in 1796.

His Work

Thomas Francklin spent much of his life writing for newspapers and creating plays for the stage. Some of his plays became popular because of the talented actors who performed in them. In 1757, he started his own newspaper called The Centinel. He also wrote for Critical Review, a well-known magazine.

He was friends with famous people like Samuel Johnson and Sir Joshua Reynolds. Because of them, he became a chaplain for the Royal Academy when it was founded. After Oliver Goldsmith died in 1774, Francklin took over his role as a professor of ancient history.

Not everyone liked Francklin. Some writers, like Arthur Murphy, were upset by his reviews. Another writer, Charles Churchill, even made fun of him in a poem.

Translations and Tragedies

Francklin's most important works were his translations and his plays.

• His first translation was of Cicero's book, Of the Nature of the Gods, which came out in 1741.
• In 1749, he translated The Epistles of Phalaris.
• His translation of the plays by Sophocles was considered the best in English for a long time. It was first published in 1759.
• He also translated The Works of Lucian from the Greek in 1780. Parts of this work were dedicated to important people.

Plays for the Stage

Francklin wrote several plays:

• The Earl of Warwick: This play was first shown in 1766. It was performed many times and was very popular. Actresses like Mary Ann Yates and Sarah Siddons were famous for their roles in it. Some people said he took the idea from a French play without giving credit.
• Matilda: This play also earned him money. It was first performed in 1775.
• The Contract: This play was shown in 1776 but was not successful. It was about two people who had agreed to marry but wanted to break it off years later.
• Mary Queen of Scots: This play was announced many times but was never performed during his lifetime. It was finally published in 1837 by his oldest son, William Francklin.

Other Writings

Francklin wrote many other things, including:

• Translation (1753): A poem that talked about how difficult translation was and asked skilled writers to try it.
• Enquiry into the Astronomy and Anatomy of the Ancients (1749): A book about old knowledge of stars and the human body.
• Truth and Falsehood, a Tale (1755): An anonymous story praising the Duchess of Bedford.
• The Centinel (1757): His own newspaper, similar to other popular papers of the time.
• A Dissertation on Ancient Tragedy (1760): A detailed essay about old plays.
• A Letter to a Bishop concerning Lectureships: A humorous letter about how church teaching jobs were chosen and how little they paid.

He also published several sermons (speeches given in church) between 1748 and 1779. A collection of his sermons called The Relative Duties was published in 1765. After he died, more of his sermons were published to help his family.

Francklin also helped translate works by Voltaire, a famous French writer. He was involved in translating Orestes and Electra. Some of his other short writings can be found in collections by Tom Davies and in the letters of the actor David Garrick.