Editing Henry Fielding (section)

==Early life==
Henry Fielding was born on 22 April 1707 at Sharpham Park, the seat of his mother's family in [[Sharpham]], Somerset. He was the son of Lt.-Gen. Edmund Fielding and Sarah Gould, daughter of Sir Henry Gould. A scion of the [[Earl of Denbigh]], his father was nephew of William Fielding, 3rd Earl of Denbigh.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lawrence |first=Frederick |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QcdbvgAACAAJ |title=The Life of Henry Fielding: With Notices of His Writings, His Times, and His Contemporaries |publisher=FB&C Limited (republished, 2015) |year=1855 |isbn=978-1-334-08074-6 |language=en}}</ref>

Educated at [[Eton College]], Fielding began a lifelong friendship with [[William Pitt the Elder]].<ref name="dorset">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thedorsetpage.com/people/Henry_Fielding.htm |title=Henry Fielding |work=People |publisher=The Dorset Page |access-date=9 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815111041/http://www.thedorsetpage.com/people/Henry_Fielding.htm |archive-date=15 August 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> His mother died when he was 11. A suit for custody was brought by his grandmother against his charming but irresponsible father, Lt Gen. [[Edmund Fielding]]. The settlement placed Henry in his grandmother's care, but he continued to see his father in London.<ref name="Henry Fielding Facts">{{Cite web |url=http://biography.yourdictionary.com/henry-fielding |title=Henry Fielding Facts |website=biography.yourdictionary.com |language=en |access-date=4 May 2017}}</ref>

In 1725, Henry tried to abduct his cousin Sarah Andrews (with whom he was infatuated) while she was on her way to church. He fled to avoid prosecution.<ref name="ODNB">{{Cite ODNB |last1=Battestin |first1=Martin C. |title=Fielding, Henry (1707–1754), author and magistrate |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-9400 |access-date=6 April 2019 |language=en |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/9400 |date=23 September 2004}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

In 1728, Fielding travelled to [[Leiden]] to study classics and law at the university.<ref name="dorset"/> However, penury forced him back to London, where he began writing for the theatre. Some of his work savagely criticised the government of Prime Minister Sir [[Robert Walpole]].