Jonathan Swift Biography

Jonathan Swift, more popularly known as Gulliver’s Travels’ author, was an Irish author. Swift, who wrote Gulliver’s Travels, was also a clergyman. He had served as a dean in Dublin’s St. Patrick's Cathedral. It is known to very few that the Irish satirist grew up without a father. He was raised by his uncle and went on to obtain a bachelor's degree from Dublin’s Trinity College. Having completed his undergraduate degree, the Gulliver’s Travels writer worked as an assistant to the statesman, eventually becoming the dean. The satirical author published most of his writings under pseudonyms. 

In this Jonathan Swift biography, we will attempt to learn about his early life, the works done by Jonathan Swift, his death and more. 

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Image: Jonathan Swift

Birth and Early Life

Now that we know who is Jonathan Swift, let us see what the early years in the life of the Gulliver’s Travels’ author were. Swift was born on 30th November 1667 in Dublin, Ireland. He was named after his father (also Jonathan Swift), who was an attorney who had passed away just two months prior to the birth of his son. In the absence of his father, Swift’s mother struggled to provide for them as they did not have a steady income. Also, the fact that Jonathan was often sickly as a child made matters worse. It was discovered only later that Jonathan suffered from what is known as Meniere’s Disease. It is a condition that is of the inner ear where the afflicted is left hard of hearing and nauseous. 

Swift’s mother, in an effort to give her son the best possible upbringing, handed him over to his uncle, Godwin Swift, brother to Swift’s late father. Godwin was a respected professional attorney, along with being a member of the judges’ group, Gray's Inn. Jonathan was enrolled by his uncle in the Kilkenny Grammar School, touted as the then best school in Ireland. Swift, who studied in this school from 1674 to 1682, found the transition from his early life of poverty to the settings of a rigorous private school, to be quite challenging. Despite challenges, Swift was able to befriend William Congreve, who grew up to be a playwright and a poet. 

Further Education and Career

Jonathan Swift was just 14 years of age when he commenced his undergraduate studies at Dublin’s prestigious Trinity College. Having received his degree in Bachelor of Arts, Swift then moved on to pursue a Master’s degree. Swift was just commencing his research when a period of unrest erupted in Ireland for overthrowing the king of Scotland, Ireland and England. This later came to be commemorated as the Glorious Revolution of 1688 which nudged Jonathan to shift to England and start afresh. 

Swift’s mother helped him to find the position of a secretary to Sir William Temple, a revered English statesman. Jonathan in his capacity as an assistant to the statesman worked for 10 years in Surrey's Moor Park. Swift helped the statesman with political errands and also helped in the research and publication of his own memoirs and essays. Jonathan’s abilities greatly impressed the statesman, who after a while started entrusting him with important and sensitive tasks. 

Personal Life

While Jonathan was working in Moor Park, he met the daughter of the statesman’s housekeeper. The girl named Esther Johnson was only 8 years old at the time and 15 years junior to Swift. However, in spite of the glaring age difference, the two eventually fell in love and remained lovers throughout their lives. In her years as a child, Jonathan acted as her tutor and mentor. He nicknamed her ‘Stella’. After Stella came of age, the two have been claimed to maintain a relationship that was close but ambiguous which lasted until the death of Jonathan Swift. Rumours about their marriage also circulated claiming that the couple got married in 1716. 

Jonathan Swift Works

Jonathan Swift worked in Moor Park for a decade during which he made two trips to Ireland. In the trip undertaken in 1965, Swift made all the arrangements necessary in order for him to become an ordained priest as prescribed by the Anglican tradition. Swift also took to writing under the influence of his employer Sir William Temple. He began his writings with short essays and then went on to write a manuscript of a book for later. After the death of Temple in 1699, Swift undertook the work of editing as well as publishing the memoirs of the statesman. This led to disputes between Swift and several members of the Temple family. 

This caused Swift to begrudgingly take up a less prominent post as the chaplain and secretary to the Earl of Berkeley. However, it was only after Swift took the tedious journey to Earl’s estate, was he informed that the position had already been filled. Although Jonathan was discouraged by this information, his resourceful nature allowed him to find work as a minister for a small congregation that was situated about 20 miles on the outskirts of Dublin. Swift was able to acquire the position given his priestly qualifications. For the course of the next 10 years, Swift preached, worked and gardened on the house that the church provided him. He also found his way back to writing during the time. Among the works done by Jonathan Swift, the first was a political pamphlet entitled, ‘A Discourse on the Contests and Dissensions in Athens and Rome’.

Following this, the titles ‘The Battle of the Books’ and ‘A Tale of a Tub’, were released by Jonathan Swift anonymously in 1704. While the latter title was widely popular among the masses, the Church of England harshly disapproved of it. The Church stated that it criticised religion ostensibly but it was intended by Swift to be a parody of pride. Despite the criticisms, Jonathan’s writings managed to earn him a reputation in London. In 1710, when the power was seized by the Tories, Jonathan was asked to act as the editor of their official paper, ‘The Examiner’. 

As time passed, Swift became completely engulfed in the political landscape. His works included some of the most well-known and edgy political pamphlets back in the day. These included ‘An Attach on the Whigs’ and ‘The Conduct of the Allies’. Swift’s position allowed him to be privy to the Tory government’s inner circle which allowed him to publish his personal feelings and thoughts in the form of a stream of letters directed towards his beloved ‘Stella’ These letters were published later as ‘The Journal to Stella’. Besides this, Swift’s courtship with Esther Vanhomrighis also thought to have inspired his storied and long poem, ‘Cadenus and Vanessa’. 

Jonathan Swift Books

Swift decided to return to Ireland on sensing that the Tories claim to power would soon be over. On returning, he took up work as the dean of Dublin’s St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1713. During this period when he led this congregation, Jonathan Swift began to write again leading to his best-known work. He finished with his manuscript at last in 1726. He then travelled to London and benefitted from his friends’ help as they published his manuscript anonymously titled, ‘Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World’. This manuscript was published in four parts - By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and  Captain of Several Ships, more popularly known as Gulliver’s Travels. The book Gulliver’s Travels was published in 1726 and became an immediate success. 

Among Jonathan Swift’s books, this book has not been out of print ever since it was published first. What is interesting about this book is that a major part of the storyline is inspired by the historical events that Swift had been a witness to in the years prior to the political turmoil. 

Final Years and Death

Swift, soon after the celebration of his work, witnessed the death of Esther Johnson, his longtime love in January of 1728. The passing away of Swift also motivated Swift to pen down, ‘The Death of Mrs. Johnson’. Following the death of Esther Johnson, a number of Swift’s other friends died as well. This included John Arbuthnot and John Gay, which troubled Swift as he was always used to be bolstered by the people surrounding him. Eventually, Swift, in 1742 suffered a stroke that cost him his ability to speak. He breathed his last on 19th October 1745. He was buried in the St. Patrick's Cathedral next to his beloved Esther Johnson. 

Jonathan Swift, who wrote Gulliver’s Travels, was one of the most prominent Irish authors to adopt a satirical style of writing. His life story is no short of an adventure that he describes in the book, Gulliver’s Travels and serves as an inspiration to writers across the world even today.