The New Student's Reference Work/Kingsley, Charles

Kings′ley, Charles, an English clergyman and author, was born on June 12, 1819. He graduated at Cambridge in 1842 with high honors, and two years later became the rector of Eversley, in Hampshire, where he remained until his death. Kingsley attained a world-wide fame both as preacher and writer, He threw himself with the greatest zeal and energy into various schemes for the improvement of the English working-classes, and in 1849 published two novels, Alton Locke and Yeast, both of which dealt with modern social questions in a bold and original manner. The influence of these books at the time of their publication was a great one, and caused the name of Christian Socialist to be applied to Kingsley. In 1853 he published Hypatia, a brilliant picture of Christianity in the fifth century in conflict with Greek philosophy. Hereward the Wake, which appeared in 1866, was his last novel. His other important works include the novels Westward Ho and Two Years Ago, and the charming fairy tale, The Water Babies, together with a volume of poems and one embracing Prose Idylls. His death occurred on Jan. 23, 1875. See his Life by his widow.