Laurence Sterne occupied a complex space in eighteenth-century life, balancing the duties of an Anglican cleric with a burgeoning career in experimental literature. Born in Clonmel in 1713, his trajectory led from the unsettled poverty of a military family to the height of literary celebrity in the Kingdom of Great Britain, fundamentally shifting the form of the comic novel.
Early Instability and Education
The first decade of Sterne’s life involved near-constant relocation between army barracks across Britain and Ireland. Following his father Roger's death in Jamaica in 1731, Sterne was placed under the guardianship of his uncle in Halifax. He attended Hipperholme Grammar School before securing a sizarship at Jesus College, Cambridge. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1737, later returning to complete his Master of Arts in 1740.
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Ordained as a priest in 1738, Sterne was granted the vicarage of Sutton-on-the-Forest in Yorkshire shortly thereafter. During the early 1740s, he engaged in anonymous political journalism in the York Gazetteer, writing propaganda for the Whigs under the guidance of his uncle, Jaques Sterne. He abandoned this work in 1742 following internal disputes, focusing instead on his ecclesiastical duties and local agricultural ventures, which proved largely unsuccessful.
Transition to Literary Notoriety
Sterne’s pivot to fiction followed the publication of his 1759 satire, A Political Romance. While the Archbishop of York ordered the destruction of the pamphlet due to its embarrassing portrayal of church officials, the process revealed Sterne's aptitude for humour. That same year, he released the first volume of The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. The work became an immediate, large-scale success, expanding over nine volumes and establishing his reputation as a major writer.
Final Works and Legacy
Throughout the remainder of his life, Sterne continued to balance his clerical identity with his literary output, publishing several volumes of sermons alongside his fiction. His final work, A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy, was published shortly before his death. Sterne died in London in 1768 and was buried in the yard of St George's, Hanover Square, having secured his position as a central figure in eighteenth-century English literature.
Fast facts
- Born: 24 November 1713, Clonmel
- Died: 18 March 1768, London
- Education: Jesus College, Cambridge; Hipperholme Grammar School
- Primary Occupations: Novelist, Vicar, Journalist
- Key Works: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman; A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy
- Religion: Anglicanism
- Marriage: Elizabeth Lumley, 1741
- Burial Site: St George's, Hanover Square
Questions readers ask
What was Sterne's primary profession?
He was an ordained Anglican cleric, serving as a vicar in Sutton-on-the-Forest and Stillington for much of his adult life.
Did Sterne write anything other than novels?
Yes, he published several volumes of sermons and various pieces of political journalism and satire.
Achievements
- Notable work: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
- Notable work: A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy
- Notable work: A Political Romance
