Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish churchman, political writer, poet and one of the greatest satirists in world literature. Swift was born in Dublin on the 30th of November 1667 and was the second child and only son of Jonathan and Abigaile Erick Swift. Swift's father died before he was born so other relatives arranged his education. In 1673 at the age of six, he began at Kilkenny Grammar School, which was, at the time, the best in Ireland. He then went on to study and graduate in Trinity College Dublin.

"Actually, he didn't, strictly speaking, graduate.
Sometimes they gave diplomas to people who hadn't actually
earned them, just to clear out the place. Jonathan was
one of four students in his 38 member-graduating class
to earn a degree in this manner."

In 1688 William of Orange invaded England, initiating the "Glorious Revolution" in England. With Dublin in political turmoil, Trinity College was closed and Swift ventured to England in search of work. He found a job as secretary to Sir William Temple, and it was in Sir William's household that he met Esther (Stella) Johnson and became her tutor. During his stay there Swift read extensively in Temple's library and began to write in between his tutorial lessons. Most unfortunately he burned most of what he wrote during this time it!

The writing that survives shows signs of the great satirist he was to become. In 1692 Temple enabled Swift to receive an M.A. degree from Oxford, and Swift published his first poem. It was during this time that he was very much a Whig both in political theory and in his party attachments. However he was also a devoted churchman. In 1694 he left Temple's household and returned to Ireland to take holy orders. The following year he was ordained a priest in the Church of Ireland, the Irish branch of the Anglican Church.

Swift returned to England and became involved in a number of political circles. He fell out with the Whigs, allied himself with the Tories and became editor of the Tory newspaper, "The Examiner". In 1714 when Queen Anne died, George the First took the throne and the Tories fell from power. Swift's hopes for preferential treatment in England came to an end, and he returned to Ireland "to die" as he says, "like a poisoned rat in a hole".

It is thought that he married Stella in 1716 but there is no confirmed evidence that he did so. While she was always his only love interest and they lived close to one another for most of their lives, they were always very properly chaperoned and may never well have been alone together!

Gulliver's Travels was published in 1726, Jonathan's first big drive into prose. It has been labeled a children's book but this was not Swift's intention. It shows his desire to encourage people to read deeper and not take things for granted. Readers of the time who paid attention to the book could relate Gulliver's tall tales to current events and long-term societal problems.

Jonathan Swift died on October 19th, 1745. On his gravestone lies a subtle reminder of his fight for the rights of the Irish. In words that Swift wrote himself:

The body of Jonathan Swift, Doctor of Sacred Theology,
dean of this cathedral, is buried here, where fierce
indignation can no more lacerate his heart.
Go, traveler, and imitate, if you can, one who strived
with all his strength to champion liberty.