Thomas Sheridan (divine) facts for kids

Thomas Sheridan (born 1687 – died 10 October 1738) was a very busy man in Ireland! He was a priest in the Church of Ireland, a writer of essays, plays, and poems, a schoolmaster, and he also translated books. He is mostly remembered because he was a close friend of the famous writer Jonathan Swift.

Thomas Sheridan's Early Life and Career

Thomas Sheridan was born in Cavan, Ireland. His father and grandfather were also priests. He had two uncles who became important bishops in the Church of Ireland: William Sheridan and Patrick Sheridan.

After finishing his studies at Trinity College, Dublin, Thomas married Elizabeth MacFadden. They first lived in Dublin. He later received a large property called Quilca, near Mullagh, County Cavan, from his wife's father.

Running a School in Dublin

In the 1720s, Thomas Sheridan ran a school in Capel Street, Dublin. Many children from important families attended his school. Some of his students grew up to become well-known figures, like Anthony Foster, who became a chief judge, and Philip Tisdall, who became a top lawyer.

Sadly, his health started to get worse in the early 1730s. Because of this, the school's reputation went down, and it eventually closed.

His Family and Personal Life

Thomas Sheridan was the father of Thomas Sheridan, who became a famous actor and speaker. This son was also the father of the very famous playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Thomas Sheridan had two other sons and one daughter.

His marriage was quite difficult. Even though he was usually a happy person, he found his marriage very hard.

Career as a Priest and Teacher

In 1725, Thomas Sheridan was chosen to be a royal chaplain, which meant he would preach to the King's household. However, he gave a sermon that some people thought had a hidden political message, and so his appointment was cancelled.

To make up for this, he was given a position as a priest in Drumlane in County Cavan. Later, in 1735, he became the headmaster of the Royal School Cavan. He stayed there for three years. He also tried to get other important jobs, like being the Dean of Kilmore or headmaster of the Royal School in Armagh, but he wasn't successful.

Friendship with Jonathan Swift

Thomas Sheridan was a very good friend of the famous writer Jonathan Swift. Swift even had a room kept just for him at his home. Sheridan helped Swift a lot with his work and even wrote a book about Swift's life.

Swift often stayed at Sheridan's country house in County Cavan. It was there that Swift wrote part of his most famous book, Gulliver's Travels. There was a lot of talk about whether Swift was secretly married to a woman named Esther Johnson, also known as "Stella." Thomas Sheridan was a strong witness who believed the marriage did happen. His friends said he heard this directly from Stella herself.

A Difficult End to a Friendship

Like many of Swift's friends, Thomas Sheridan eventually had a big disagreement with him. In 1738, after Sheridan recovered from an illness, Swift told him he was no longer welcome at his home.

The exact reason for their quarrel is not completely clear. Swift was becoming more unusual in his behavior. One story says that Sheridan criticized Swift for becoming too greedy, which Swift found unforgivable.

Death and How He Was Remembered

Thomas Sheridan suddenly collapsed and died while having dinner at a friend's house in Rathfarnham, County Dublin.

Before their final disagreement, Jonathan Swift called Sheridan the best scholar in Ireland. Sir Walter Scott, another famous writer, described him as "good-natured and light-hearted" in his book about Swift's life. It's not known why Sheridan disliked his wife so much. Swift and others thought he might have found comfort with other women.