Henry Brooke was born in Rantavan, County Cavan, and was educated in Rantavan, at Dr Sheridan's School in Capel Street, Dublin and at Trinity College, Dublin. He went to London to study law and befriended Swift and Pope. He wrote political pamphlets on the need for the abolition of the penal laws and for equal rights, though he opposed the Jacobite rebellion and in 1745 published The Farmer's Letters to the Protestants of Ireland, warning them to prepare against such an occurence. An oratorio, an opera and several novels including, in five volumes, The Fool of Quality (1766-7) were also published by him. Among his plays are Gustavus Vasa; The Earl of Westmoreland and The Earl of Essex. He was the father of twenty-two children, one of whom was Charlotte. He died in Dublin.

Born:	c.1703
Died:	10 October 1783