Day, Thomas (1748-1789)

English writer. His celebrated The History of Sandford and Merton (1783-89) is a typical example of the moral story for children, juxtaposing the wealthy and hard-hearted Tommy Merton and the poor but good-natured Harry Sandford. The poem The Dying Negro (1773) was written in support of abolishing the slave trade.

Born in London and educated at Oxford, Day became a barrister but did not practise law. He conducted an eccentric experiment, educating two orphan girls with the idea of making one his wife, but the experiment failed. He made the acquaintance of the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Paris and, like him, advocated more enlightened methods in education.