Charles Kingsley

Charles Kingsley (12 June 1819 – 23 January 1875) was an English clergyman, social reformer, historian, novelist and poet. A broad church priest of the Church of England, he is particularly associated with Christian socialism, Anti-Catholicism, the working men's college, and forming labour cooperatives, which failed, but encouraged later working reforms. He is known for his novels Yeast (1848), Alton Locke (1850), Hypatia (1853), Westward Ho! (1855), The Water-Babies (1863), and Hereward the Wake (1866).

Life and character

Kingsley was born in Holne, Devon, the elder son of the Reverend Charles Kingsley and his wife, Mary Lucas Kingsley. His brother, Henry Kingsley (1830–1876), and sister, Charlotte Chanter (1828–1882), also became writers. He was the father of the novelist Lucas Malet (Mary St Leger Kingsley 1852–1931) and the uncle of the traveller and scientist Mary Kingsley (1862–1900).

Charles Kingsley's childhood was spent in Clovelly, Devon, where his father was curate in 1826–1832 and rector in 1832–1836, and at Barnack, Northamptonshire. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School and Helston Grammar School before studying at King's College London and the University of Cambridge. Charles entered Magdalene College, Cambridge, in 1838, and graduated first class in classics, and senior optime in 1842. He chose to pursue priesthood in the Anglican Church. In 1844, he became Rector of Eversley in Hampshire. In 1859, he was appointed chaplain to Queen Victoria. In 1860, he became Regius Professor of Modern History at the University of Cambridge, and, in 1861, a private tutor to the Prince of Wales.