Tobias Smollett

Tobias George Smollett (1721-1771) was a Scottish author and poet whose picaresque novels, such as Roderick Random and Peregrine Pickle, influenced many later authors, including Charles Dickens. Educated in medicine at the University of Glasgow, Smollett earned a commission as a surgeon aboard the HMS Chichester. He settled in Downing Street to devote himself to writing.