Theophilus Swift (1746–1815) was an Irish writer and poet.

Early life

He was born the son of Deane Swift of Dublin, (who was a cousin of Dr.

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, ...

) and educated at

St Mary Hall, Oxford St Mary Hall was a medieval academic hall of the University of Oxford. It was associated with Oriel College from 1326 to 1545, but functioned independently from 1545 until it was incorporated into Oriel College in 1902. History In 132 ...

, graduating B.A. in 1767.

Career

He studied law at the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn ...

and was called to the bar in 1774. After practising law for a few years, he moved to live in Dublin after inheriting some property in Limerick after the death of his father in 1783. In 1789 he was wounded in a duel in London with Colonel Charles Lennox (afterwards fourth Duke of Richmond and Lennox) following deprecatory remarks he made in a pamphlet. In another pamphlet entitled ''Animadversions on the Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin'' he accused some of the fellows at Trinity with having broken the rule which prohibited them from marrying, earning him a twelve months' prison sentence in the

Marshalsea The Marshalsea (1373–1842) was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisoners, including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition, it became known, i ...

prison for libel. In 1800 he was awarded the

Cunningham Medal The Cunningham Medal is the premier award of the Royal Irish Academy. It is awarded every three years in recognition of "outstanding contributions to scholarship and the objectives of the Academy". History It was which was established in 1796 at t ...

by the

Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier learned society and one its leading cultural i ...

for his essay on ''The origin and progress of rhyme''.

Death

He died in 1815 in Dublin.

Works

* ''The Gamblers'', a poem (anon.), 1777 * ''The Temple of Folly'', in four cantos, London, 1787 * ''Poetical Address to His Majesty'', 1788 * ''The Female Parliament'', a poem, 1789 * ''The Monster at Large'', 1791 * ''An Essay on Rime'', Transactions of Royal Irish Academy, 1801 * ''The Accomplished Quack: A Treatise on Political Charlatanism'', Dublin, 1811

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, Theophilus 1746 births 1815 deaths Alumni of St Mary Hall, Oxford Members of the Middle Temple Irish poets Writers from Dublin (city) 18th-century Irish writers 19th-century Irish writers