Laurence Sterne was born in Ireland into a military family, which meant he moved frequently during his childhood. He studied theology and classical philology at Cambridge and then pursued a career in the Church of England. He worked as a clergyman in Sutton-on-the-Forest and Stillington. His literary career began in 1759 with the novel Tristram Shandy, which made him world famous overnight. Plagued by illness throughout his life, he travelled to France for health reasons, where his wife and daughter also settled. After his death, his remains were exhumed and reburied several times before finally finding their final resting place in Coxwold.