Oliver Goldsmith was born in the Irish village of Pallas, in County Longford on Nov. 10, 1728. His father was a poor Anglican clergyman. The fifth of eight children, he was awkward and slight, and an early attack of smallpox which left him pitifully marked for life. All of his life, Goldsmith suffered from a desperate lack of self-confidence, especially among people of eminence or fashion, although he could be robustly, prankishly happy in the tippling, ballad-singing company of tavern jokers.
When Goldsmith was not quite 16 years old, he entered Trinity College, Dublin. However Goldsmith's sister having become engaged to a rich man's son, the father made it a point of honour to provide her with a substantial dowry. In doing so he exhausted the family fortunes. The result was that Goldsmith had to attend Trinity as a sizar, that is, as one who gets free lodging and the scraps of the commons kitchen; in return for this, he does menial chores. He must also wear a distinctive garb to indicate his inferior status. Nevertheless, he managed to scrape a Bachelor of Arts degree by 1749.
Then Goldsmith studied theology, law, and medicine in turn for a year or two each; but he preferred fishing and flute playing to books. He travelled for a year in Europe, and then settled in London. He claimed to be a physician with a degree from a foreign university, and people called him "doctor." Nobody came for treatment, however, so he turned to writing.
Goldsmith's essays "The Citizen of the World", published in 1762, won the attention of Samuel Johnson, then England's leading man of letters. Johnson included Goldsmith in his circle of friends. Writing brought Goldsmith a fair income, but he was perpetually in debt. He died on April 4, 1774, after trying to cure himself of a fever.
Oliver's father, Rev. Charles Goldsmith, was appointed to the curacy Forgney Church in 1718. As Forgney had no rectory the family rented land at Pallas six miles east of Auburn and 1 kilometer from the Three Jolly Pigeons. In 1730 when Oliver was two years his father was appointed to Kilkenny West. The family moved to the Parsonage of Lissoy where they remained until the death of Charles Goldsmith in 1747.
Timeline
- 1728 Born at Pallas, near Ballymahon, Co. Longford on Nov 10th.
- 1730 Family moved to Lissoy, Co. Westmeath.
- 1734 Attended Village School under Thomas Byrne.
- 1741 Sent to School at Edgeworthstown.
- 1744 Entered Trinity College, Dublin as a sizar.
- 1749 Took Bachelor of Arts Degree.
- 1751 Rejected for orders by the Bishop of Elphin.
- 1752 Went to Edinburgh University to study medicine.
- 1754 Arrived at Leiden, in Holland to continue studies of medicine.
- 1755 Left Leiden and took Degree of Bachelor of Medicine at Louvain.
Travelled on foot in France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. - 1756 Landed at Dover and settled in London.
- 1764 "The Traveller" published.
- 1766 "The Vicar of Wakefield" published.
- 1768 "The Good Natured Man" published.
- 1770 "The Deserted Village" published.
- 1773 "She Stoops to Conquer" published.
- 1774 Died April 4th and buried in The Temple.
- 1985 Goldsmith Summer School Founded
- 1999 Memorial erected in Ballymahon.
- 2004 Goldsmith's Grave Rededicated