Lawrence Sterne, Clergyman, Humorist, and Author, Is Born in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary

Laurence Sterne (24 November 1713 – 18 March 1768) was an Anglo-Irish novelist and Anglican cleric who wrote the novels The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman and A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy, published sermons and memoirs, and indulged in local politics.

Lawrence Sterne, the clergyman, humorist, and author best known for his experimental novel “Tristram Shandy,” was born in Clonmel, County Tipperary, on 24 November 1713. His father, Roger Sterne, was an ensign in a British regiment recently returned from Dunkirk. The first decade of Laurence Sterne’s life was spent from place to place, as his father was regularly reassigned to a new (usually Irish) garrison. “Other than a three-year stint in a Dublin townhouse, the Sternes never lived anywhere for more than a year between Laurence’s birth and his departure for boarding school in England a few months shy of his eleventh birthday.

“Tristram Shandy” is known for its unconventional narrative structure, digressions, and metafictional elements. Sterne’s writing style had a significant influence on later writers and literary movements. He is often associated with the sentimental and psychological novel traditions of the 18th century.

Sterne’s life included periods as a clergyman, and he served as the vicar of Sutton and Prebendary of York Minster. His literary works, especially “Tristram Shandy,” continue to be studied and celebrated for their wit, humor, and experimental narrative techniques. Lawrence Sterne passed away on March 18, 1768.