Andrew Moreton is a pseudonym used by

Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; 1660 – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, merchant and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translati ...

in several

pamphlets A pamphlet is an unbound book (that is, without a Hardcover, hard cover or Bookbinding, binding). Pamphlets may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths, called a ''leaflet'' ...

published between 1725 and 1729, proposing some new reflections on themes already discussed in Defoe's 1697 '' An essay upon projects''. Moreton is presented as a crotchety middle-class old

gentleman ''Gentleman'' (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man; abbreviated ''gent.'') is a term for a chivalrous, courteous, or honorable man. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire ...

complaining about the indecency of London social life in the latest years. Fulfilling his duty as an honest and concerned citizen, Moreton firmly advances possible reforms in order to improve the quality of life of all social classes. He soon became a controversial figure especially when parts of '' The Protestant Monastery'' were reissued in abridged form in other pamphlets such as: ''Chickens Feed Capons'' and ''No Fool like the Old Fool'', and also rose protests from a family who believed themselves to have been described in the pamphlet. Moreton became so famous that even ''A System of Magick'' was attributed to him in order to boost sales. Defoe was quickly identified in 1725 by his opponents and subjected to personal attacks. Yet, he continued to use Andrew Moreton Esq. as a mask in the following writings.Novak M.E. (2014), Transformations, Ideology, and the Real in Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and Other Narratives: Finding The Thing Itself, Rowman & Littlefield,

Pamphlets by Andrew Moreton

* '' Every-body’s Business, Is No-Body’s Business'' (1725) * '' The Protestant Monastery'' (1726) * '' Parochial Tyranny'' (1727) * '' Augusta Triumphans'' (1728) * '' Second Thoughts Are Best'' (1729)

References

Pseudonymous writers Daniel Defoe {{England-writer-stub