Thomas Mortimer (writer)

Thomas Mortimer (1730–1810) was an English writer, known for his works in the field of economics.

He was the son of Thomas Mortimer (1706–1741), principal secretary to Sir Joseph Jekyll, the Master of the Rolls, and grandson of John Mortimer, and was born on 9 December 1730 in Carey Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. His mother died in 1744, and he was left under the guardianship of John Baker of Spitalfields.

Mortimer went to Harrow School, under James Cox, and then to a private academy in the north, but was largely self-taught. In 1750 he published An Oration on the much lamented death of H.R.H. Frederick, Prince of Wales, and began to study elocution. He also learnt French and Italian for his study of modern history.

In November 1762 Mortimer was made English vice-consul for the Austrian Netherlands, on the recommendation of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, secretary of state, and went to Ostend. He hoped for the consulship; but Robert Wood was more successful at intrigue, as under-secretary to Lord Weymouth, and Mortimer was dismissed from his post in 1768, as a Wilkite;John Wilkes was known to be a personal friend of Mortimer. He returned to England, resumed his writing, and worked as a private tutor.

Mortimer died on 31 March 1810 in Clarendon Square, Somers Town, London.

Mortimer was a voluminous writer, mainly on economic subjects. His largest work was The British Plutarch (6 vols. 1762; 2nd ed., revised and enlarged, 1774). It was translated into French as Le Plutarque anglais by Cornélie Wouters, baronne de Vasse (1785-6, Paris, 12 vols.), which contained British biographies from Henry VIII to George II.

Besides pamphlets, Mortimer's economic publications were:

His New History of England, dedicated to Queen Charlotte, appeared (London 3 vols.) 1764–6.

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