Father, Debtor and Entrepreneur

Between 1709 and the first months of 1713, the period of the Tatler and the Spectator, Steele's activities and accomplishments were not confined to the literary periodical, however taxing that work must have been. His growing family certainly added significant responsibilities. His first daughter, Elizabeth, was born on 26 March 1709 – shortly before the beginning of the Tatler (12 April 1709). His son Richard was born on 25 May, 1710; he died at the age of six. Eugene was born on 4 March 1712. Mary was probably born at the end of January, 1713, under difficult circumstances. Mary Scurlock, Prue's mother, had come to London to visit the family but took ill and died. The young Irish clergyman and philosopher George Berkeley, who had first met Steele in January, reported that Mrs Steele had given birth to a son on the same day as her mother died. Most biographers suspect that Berkeley was mistaken as to the gender of the baby, but Aitken speculates (on no real evidence) that a son may have died soon after, and Mary may have been born at the end of the year. In addition to these four children, Steele remained responsible for his illegitimate daughter Elizabeth Ousley.

On the death of Mrs Scurlock, Steele gained an annual income of £500 from her Welsh property. Berkeley notes Steele's kindness to his wife on this occasion and goes on to describe the happy situation of the Steeles: