Editing Richard Steele (section)

==Early life==
Steele was born in [[Dublin]], [[Ireland]], in 1671 to Richard Steele, a wealthy attorney, and Elinor Symes (''née'' Sheyles); his sister Katherine was born the previous year. He was the grandson of [[William Steele (Lord Chancellor of Ireland)|Sir William Steele]], [[Lord Chancellor of Ireland]] and his first wife Elizabeth Godfrey. His father lived at Mountown House, [[Monkstown, County Dublin]]. His mother, of whose family background little is known, was described as "a very beautiful woman, of a noble spirit".{{r|DNB}}

His father died when he was four, and his mother a year later. Steele was largely raised by his uncle and aunt, Henry Gascoigne (secretary to [[James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde]]), and Lady Katherine Mildmay.<ref name=dammers>{{cite book|last1=Dammers|first1=Richard H.|title=Richard Steele|date=1982|publisher=Twayne Publishers|location=Boston|isbn=9780805768374|page=[https://archive.org/details/richardsteele00damm/page/1 1]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/richardsteele00damm}}</ref> 

A member of the Protestant gentry, he was educated at [[Charterhouse School]], where he first met Addison. After starting at [[Christ Church, Oxford]], he went on to [[Merton College, Oxford]], then joined the [[Life Guards (British Army)|Life Guards]] of the [[Household Cavalry]] in order to support King William's [[Nine Years' War|wars against France]]. He was commissioned in 1697, and rose to the rank of captain within two years.<ref>{{Cite ODNB|id=26347|title=Steele, Sir Richard}}</ref>