Who is considered the founder of the English novel

Henry Fielding, (born April 22, 1707, Sharpham Park, Somerset, Eng.-died Oct. 8, 1754, Lisbon) novelist and playwright, who, with Samuel Richardson, is considered a founder of the English novel. Among his major novels are Joseph Andrews (1742) and Tom Jones (1749).

Three of the foremost novelists of this era are Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, andSamuel Richardson. Defoe's name, more than that of any other English writer, is credited with the emergence of the "true" English novel by virtue of the 1719 publication of The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe.