* Early Corporations: The concept of a corporation existed long before modern copyright law, and early forms of incorporation were often used for things like trading companies, not individual artists.
* Limited Records: The legal framework for copyright and intellectual property was constantly evolving, and historical records of incorporations might not always be readily available, especially for individuals in earlier centuries.
* Definition of "Incorporate": What exactly constitutes "incorporating oneself" is a bit blurry. Does it mean creating a company specifically to manage their creative output, or simply using a corporation to manage finances and contracts related to writing?
However, we can look at some examples:
* Early Authors and Copyright: Authors like Samuel Johnson and William Shakespeare operated in a time before strong copyright laws existed. While they might have had some legal protection through contracts or patronage, they didn't have the same modern notion of incorporating themselves.
* 19th and 20th Century: With the rise of modern copyright law, authors began to create their own companies. This was likely more common in the late 19th and 20th centuries as authors gained more control over their work and the publishing industry grew.
* Modern Examples: Today, many authors, especially successful ones, incorporate to manage their finances, copyrights, and intellectual property.
In conclusion: While it's impossible to pinpoint the "first writer to incorporate himself," the practice likely became more prevalent in the 19th and 20th centuries as copyright law developed and the publishing industry evolved.