Henry Fielding (Q229686)

Overall: His father's lavish lifestyle and large family left little inheritance for Fielding, forcing him to write for a living. He began by writing poems and plays. After a rocky start, he gained a reputation as a prolific playwright until June 1737, when the Theatrical Licensing Act effectively ended his career. This led to a period of financial burden, when he was imprisoned briefly for debt and attempted to alleviate his distress by translating the Military History of Charles XII for his bookseller John Nourse. He then wrote a number of original prose works, under a mix of patronage and writing for London booksellers. After the publication of his enormously popular Tom Jones, in conjunction with the revenue from his career as a magistrate, he had plenty of money, but spent it unwisely. He is remembered as a playwright, novelist, journalist, and magistrate.