William Seward

William Seward, the son of a London brewer of the same name, was educated at Charterhouse and Oriel College, Oxford, where he did not take a degree. After college Seward traveled on the Continent before returning to London where he was a friend of Samuel Johnson and the Thrales. Though he was a friend of Anna Seward, he was not related to her. Seward's chief literary productions were his collections of anecdotes, originally published in newspapers and magazines.

TEXT RECORDS:

1798An Elegy, written in St. Stephen's Chapel.
1799Ode to the German Drama.
1799The Fate of France. Imitated from Horace. Book I. Ode XV.

PUBLICATIONS:

Anecdotes of some distinguished persons, chiefly of the present and two preceding centuries. 4 vols, 1795-96.
Biographiana. 2 vols, 1799.

PROFILE AND
ASSOCIATES:

English
Anglican

Harrow
Charterhouse
Oriel College Oxford

antiquary
poet

Whitehall Evening Post
European Magazine

Dr. Erasmus Darwin
Isaac D'Israeli
Dr. Hugh Downman
Rev. Richard Graves
Anne Hunter
Samuel Johnson
Isaac Reed
Anna Seward
Rev. Joseph Warton

REFERENCE:

DNB; not NCBEL.

David Rivers, Literary Memoirs of Living Authors (1798); obituary in Gentleman's Magazine 69 (May 1799) 439-40; obituary in Monthly Magazine 7 (May 1799) 334-35; obituary in European Magazine 36 (October 1799) 219-20 [portrait]; obituary in Universal Magazine 107 (August 1800) 103; Nichols, Literary Anecdotes (1812-15); Foster, Alumni Oxon (1887-91).

COMMENTARY RECORDS
for William Seward:

1.	1777  Samuel Johnson to James Boswell, 28 June 1777; Boswell, Life of Johnson (1791); ed. G. B. Hill (1891) 3:140 &n.
2.	1778  Frances Burney, 1778; Diary and Letters of the Author of Madam D'Arblay, ed. Austin Dobson (1904-05) 1:139-40.
3.	1795  Bishop John Butler to William Seward, 10 May 1795; European Magazine 43 (January 1803) 7.
4.	1795  Anna Seward to William Seward, 17 May 1795; Letters, ed. Scott (1811) 4:53-58.
5.	1799  Anne Hunter?, "Elegy to the Memory of William Seward" European Magazine 35 (May 1799) 334.
6.	1891  George Birkbeck Hill, Note in Boswell, Life of Johnson (1791); ed. G. B. Hill (1891) 3:140n.

BIOGRAPHY RECORDS
for William Seward:

1.	1798  David Rivers, Literary Memoirs of Living Authors (1798) 2:246.
2.	1799  Anonymous, Obituary in Gentleman's Magazine 69 (May 1799) 439-40.
3.	1799  Isaac Reed, Obituary in European Magazine 36 (October 1799) 219-20.
4.	1800  Anonymous, Obituary in Universal Magazine 107 (August 1800) 103.
5.	1812  Alexander Chalmers, in General Biographical Dictionary (1812-17) 27:358-60.

AUTHOR AS CRITIC:
(commentary records)

1.	1794  Rev. Thomas Birch:   William Seward, "Dr. Birch" European Magazine 25 (January 1794) 25.
2.	1794  Isaac D'Israeli:   William Seward, "On Leaving a Letter of Introduction from Mr. D'Israeli to Mr. Jackson, Organist of the Cathedral of Exeter, who was from Home" Whitehall Evening Post (26 July 1794).
3.	1794  Dr. Hugh Downman:   William Seward, "On receiving from Dr. Downman a Copy of his Poems, inscribed chiefly to his relations and friends" European Magazine 26 (July 1794) 141.
4.	1794  Lady Catherine Rebecca Manners:   William Seward, "To M. Mosnier, Painter to the King of France, on his Portrait of Lady Manners" European Magazine 26 (November 1794) 367-68.
5.	1795  William Collins:   William Seward, "Drossiana: William Collins" European Magazine 28 (October, December 1795) 236, 377.
6.	1795  Rev. John Free:   William Seward, "Rev. Dr. Free" European Magazine 28 (December 1795) 377.
7.	1796  Henry Fielding:   William Seward, "Henry Fielding" European Magazine 29 (January 1796) 31-32.
8.	1796  Lord Kames:   William Seward, "Lord Kaimes" European Magazine 29 (January 1796) 9-10.
9.	1797  Rev. Richard Farmer:   William Seward, "Rev. Dr. Farmer" European Magazine 32 (November 1797) 345.
10.	1797  Rev. Richard Farmer:   William Seward, "Rev. Dr. Farmer, Master of Emanuel College, Cambridge" European Magazine 32 (November 1797) 345.
11.	1799  Sir John Davies:   William Seward, in Biographiana (1799) 2:470-71.
12.	1799  Ben Jonson:   William Seward, in Biographiana (1799) 2:411-12.
13.	1799  John Milton:   William Seward, in Biographiana (1799) 2:505-06.