John Williams (1761–1818) was an English poet, satirist, journalist and miscellaneous writer, best known by the pseudonym of Anthony Pasquin.

Life

He was born in London on 28 April 1761, and was sent in 1771 to Merchant Taylors' School. There he was beaten for an

epigram An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word derives from the Greek (, "inscription", from [], "to write on, to inscribe"). This literary device has been practiced for over two millennia ...

on Mr. Knox, the third master. At the age of seventeen he was placed with a painter, but he gave up art to become an author and translator. When he was about eighteen he wrote a defence of

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1716 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, Actor-manager, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil a ...

against William Kenrick, earning Garrick's friendship. About two years later he went to Ireland, and during his time in Dublin edited several periodical publications. He attacked the government in the ''Volunteers' Journal'' during the administration of the

Duke of Rutland Duke of Rutland is a title in the Peerage of England, named after Rutland, a county in the East Midlands of England. Earldoms named after Rutland have been created three times; the ninth earl of the third creation was made duke in 1703, in whos ...

, a prosecution was started against him in 1784, and he was obliged to decamp, leaving the printers to face the judgment. The same year (1784) he was associated with

Henry Bate Dudley Sir Henry Bate Dudley, 1st Baronet (25 August 1745 – 1 February 1824) was a British clergyman, magistrate and playwright. He was born in Fenny Compton, Warwickshire, but in 1763 his father moved the family to Essex to take up a rectory at No ...

in the ''

Morning Herald The ''Morning Herald'' was an early daily newspaper in the United Kingdom. History The newspaper was founded in 1780 by the Reverend Sir Henry Bate Dudley, former editor of ''The Morning Post''. It was initially a liberal paper aligned with ...

''. A violent quarrel broke out between them, and Williams wrote a satire on his antagonist, for which he was prosecuted, though the action did not proceed. In 1787 Williams accompanied his friend Pilon to France, and on his return he started a paper called ''The Brighton Guide''. He next settled at

Bath, Somerset Bath (Received Pronunciation, RP: , ) is a city in Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman Baths (Bath), Roman-built baths. At the 2021 census, the population was 94,092. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, Bristol, River A ...

, but again left in a hurry. For some years he contributed influential theatrical criticism to some of the London newspapers. In 1797 he appeared in the

Court of King's Bench The Court of King's Bench, formally known as The Court of the King Before the King Himself, was a court of common law in the English legal system. Created in the late 12th to early 13th century from the '' curia regis'', the King's Bench initi ...

as plaintiff in an action against Robert Faulder, the bookseller, for a libel contained in

William Gifford William Gifford (April 1756 – 31 December 1826) was an English critic, editor and poet, famous as a satire, satirist and controversialist. Life Gifford was born in Ashburton, England, Ashburton, Devon, to Edward Gifford and Elizabeth Cain. ...

's poem ''The Baviad''. In one of the notes Gifford, speaking of Williams, observed that ‘he was so lost to every sense of decency and shame that his acquaintance was infamy and his touch poison.’ In this cause the plaintiff was nonsuited, based the proof that was given of his having himself grossly libelled every respectable character in the kingdom, from the sovereign down to the lowest of his subjects.

Lloyd Kenyon, 1st Baron Kenyon Lloyd Kenyon, 1st Baron Kenyon, (5 October 1732 – 4 April 1802), was a British politician and barrister, who served as Attorney General, Master of the Rolls and Lord Chief Justice. Born to a country gentleman, he was initially educated i ...

, who tried the case, commended Gifford. Williams emigrated to America shortly afterwards, and edited a New York newspaper called ''The Federalist''. He died a poor man of

typhus Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposu ...

fever in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, on 23 November 1818.

References

External links

*http://www.lanefineart.com/full_description.php?pid=208 ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, John 1761 births 1818 deaths English male journalists English satirists Writers from London English male poets English satirical poets