Description

Charles Kingsley (1819-75) is best remembered today as the author of the children's morality tale The Water Babies. This biography, written by his wife and published in 1877, draws on his letters to describe a man who saw his faith as being central to his life not only as an Anglican priest, but also as a historian, novelist and supporter of social reform. The two-volume work gives insights into the concerns and preoccupations of the intellectual classes of the mid-Victorian period. Volume 1 covers the period until 1856, including Kingsley's precocious childhood and his witnessing of the Bristol Riots in 1831 that led to his support for social reform in adult life. Volume 2 includes Fanny Kingsley's account of her husband's notorious controversy with J. H. Newman, provoked by an article in Macmillan's Magazine.