Voltaire Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his "nom de plume" Voltaire (; ), was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit, his criticism of Christianity, especially the Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and separation of church and state. Voltaire was a versatile and prolific writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays and historical and scientific works. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. He was an outspoken advocate of civil liberties, despite
Irons (All-England cricketer, 1778) Irons (All-England cricketer, 1778) Irons (first name and dates unknown) was an English first-class cricketer who made a single known appearance for All-England against Chertsey at Laleham Burway on 10–11 September 1778. Irons scored 4 runs with a highest score of 4. Irons may have played in the return match at the Artillery Ground on 15 September, but no details of that match have survived. As Irons had established his reputation by 1778, he must have been active for some years previously. Very few players were mentioned by name in contemporary reports and there are no other references to Irons.