William Henry Giles Kingston
Encyclopedia
William Henry Giles Kingston (28 February 1814 - 5 August 1880), writer of tales for boys, was born in London, but spent much of his youth in Oporto, where his father was a merchant.
He also conducted various papers, including The Colonist, and Colonial Magazine and East India Review. He was also interested in emigration, volunteering, and various philanthropic schemes. For services in negotiating a commercial treaty with Portugal he received a Portuguese knighthood, and for his literary labours a Government pension.
He is mentioned by Robert Louis Stevenson
in the poem prefacing Treasure Island
.
His first book was The Circassian Chief, a story published in 1844, and while still living in Oporto, he wrote The Prime Minister, an historical novel, and Lusitanian Sketches, descriptions of travels in Portugal. Settling in England, he interested himself in the emigration movement, edited in 1844 The Colonist' and The Colonial Magazine and East India Review, was honorary secretary of a colonisation society, wrote in 1848 Some Suggestions for a System of General Emigration, lectured on colonisation in 1849, published a manual for colonists, How to Emigrate, in 1850, and visited the western highlands on behalf of the emigration commissioners. He was afterwards a zealous volunteer and worked actively for the improvement of the condition of seamen. But from 1850 his chief occupation was writing books for boys, or editing boys' annuals and weekly periodicals. The Union Jack, a paper for boys, he started only a few months before his death. The best known of his stories, which numbered more than a hundred, are:
He travelled widely on the ordinary routes of travel, and described his experience for the young in:
His popular records of adventure and of discovery included:
He published translations of several of Jules Verne
's stories from the French (see below on the actual translator), and wrote many historical tales dealing with almost all periods and countries, from Eldol the Druid, 1874, and Jovinian, a tale of Early Papal Rome, 1877, downwards, and undertook some popular historical compilations like Half-Hours with the Kings and Queens of England, 1876.
His writings occupy nine pages and a half of the British Museum Catalogue. They were very popular; his tales were quite innocuous, but most of them proved ephemeral. Feeling his health failing, on 2 Aug. 1880 he wrote a farewell letter in touching terms to the boys for whom he had written so much and so long, and died three days later at Stormont Lodge, Willesden, near London.
Kingston's brother, George Kingston
(1816–1886), was a Canadian professor, meteorologist, author, and public servant. For successfully promoting and organizing one of Canada's first national scientific services, George Kingston has been called the father of Canadian Meteorology.
Beginning in the 1870s Kingston entered into a contract with the publishers Sampson Low and Marston to translate some works of the French author Jules Verne
. These are the works for which Kingston is most remembered today, but although they were all published under his name, the translations were actually done by his wife, Agnes Kinloch Kingston. Although this fact was generally known in literary circles, and actually mentioned in Mrs. Kingston's obituary in 1913, it was apparently forgotten until it was revived in the 20th Century edition of the Dictionary of National Biography in 2004. The Verne books which Mrs. Kingston translated are:
Kingston died at his family home, 3 Brondesbury Villas, Willesden, Middlesex, on 5 August 1880 and his death was registered four days later by H. C. Kingston, "present at the death". The cause of death was cited, on his death certificate, as "Cancer of Kidney Time not known Certified by J. F. Anderson MD."
Popularity
His first book, The Circassian Chief, appeared in 1844. His first book for boys, Peter the Whaler, was published in 1851, and had such success that he retired from business and devoted himself entirely to the production of this kind of literature, in which his popularity was deservedly great; and during 30 years he wrote upwards of 130 tales, including:- The Three Midshipmen (1862),
- The Three Lieutenants (1874),
- The Three Commanders (1875),
- The Three Admirals (1877),
- Digby Heathcote, etc.
He also conducted various papers, including The Colonist, and Colonial Magazine and East India Review. He was also interested in emigration, volunteering, and various philanthropic schemes. For services in negotiating a commercial treaty with Portugal he received a Portuguese knighthood, and for his literary labours a Government pension.
He is mentioned by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
in the poem prefacing Treasure Island
Treasure Island
Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...
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- If studious youth no longer crave,
- His ancient appetites forgot,
- Kingston, or Ballantyne the brave,
- Or Cooper of the wood and wave:
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Biography
William Kingston was born in Harley Street, London, on 28 February 1814. He was the eldest son of Lucy Henry Kingston, and grandson by the mother's side of Sir Giles Rooke, Knight Justice of the Court of Common Pleas. His father was in the wine business in Oporto, and there for many years the son lived, making frequent voyages to England, and contracting a lifelong affection for the sea. He entered his father's business, but soon indulged his natural bent for writing. His newspaper articles on Portugal were translated into Portuguese, and assisted the conclusion of the commercial treaty with Portugal in 1842, when he received from Donna Mariada Gloria an order of Portuguese knighthood and a pension.His first book was The Circassian Chief, a story published in 1844, and while still living in Oporto, he wrote The Prime Minister, an historical novel, and Lusitanian Sketches, descriptions of travels in Portugal. Settling in England, he interested himself in the emigration movement, edited in 1844 The Colonist' and The Colonial Magazine and East India Review, was honorary secretary of a colonisation society, wrote in 1848 Some Suggestions for a System of General Emigration, lectured on colonisation in 1849, published a manual for colonists, How to Emigrate, in 1850, and visited the western highlands on behalf of the emigration commissioners. He was afterwards a zealous volunteer and worked actively for the improvement of the condition of seamen. But from 1850 his chief occupation was writing books for boys, or editing boys' annuals and weekly periodicals. The Union Jack, a paper for boys, he started only a few months before his death. The best known of his stories, which numbered more than a hundred, are:
- Peter the Whaler, 1851
- Blue Jackets, 1854
- Digby Heathcote, 1860
- The Cruise of the Frolic, 1860
- The Fireships, 1862
- The midshipman Marmaduke Merry, 1863
- Foxholme Hall, 1867
- Ben Burton, 1872
- The Three Midshipmen, 1873
- The Three Lieutenants, 1876
- The Three Commanders, 1876
- The Three Admirals, 1878
- Kidnapping in the Pacific, 1879
- Hendriks the Hunter, 1884
He travelled widely on the ordinary routes of travel, and described his experience for the young in:
- Western Wanderings. Or, a pleasure tour in the Canadas, 1856
- My Travels in Many Lands, 1862 (FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
) - The Western World, 1874
- A Yacht Voyage round England, 1879
His popular records of adventure and of discovery included:
- Captain Cook: His Life, Voyages, and Discoveries, 1871
- Great African Travellers, 1874
- Popular History of the Navy, 1876
- Notable Voyages from Columbus to Parry, 1880
- Adventures in the Far West, 1881
- Adventures in Africa, 1883
- Adventures in India, 1884
- Adventures in Australia, 1885
- Travels of dr. Livingstone's Travels, 1886
- Travels of Mungo Park, Denham and Clapperton, 1886
He published translations of several of Jules Verne
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
's stories from the French (see below on the actual translator), and wrote many historical tales dealing with almost all periods and countries, from Eldol the Druid, 1874, and Jovinian, a tale of Early Papal Rome, 1877, downwards, and undertook some popular historical compilations like Half-Hours with the Kings and Queens of England, 1876.
His writings occupy nine pages and a half of the British Museum Catalogue. They were very popular; his tales were quite innocuous, but most of them proved ephemeral. Feeling his health failing, on 2 Aug. 1880 he wrote a farewell letter in touching terms to the boys for whom he had written so much and so long, and died three days later at Stormont Lodge, Willesden, near London.
Family Life
On August 4, 1853, Kingston married Agnes Kinloch, daughter of Captain Charles Kinloch who had served in the Peninsular War. The honeymoon was spent in Canada, where Kingston acquired the background for many of his later novels. Agnes Kinloch was privately educated, as was the custom of the time, she sang well, was an accomplished musician, studied art and languages in Europe, and spoke both French and German fluently, a skill which was to be of benefit during her husband's later financial troubles. Although she bore her husband eight children, these all died early and this branch of the family is now extinct.Kingston's brother, George Kingston
George Kingston (meteorologist)
George Templeman Kingston was a Canadian professor, meteorologist, author, and public servant. For successfully promoting and organizing one of Canada's first national scientific services, Kingston has been called the father of Canadian Meteorology.- Biography :George Kingston was born at the...
(1816–1886), was a Canadian professor, meteorologist, author, and public servant. For successfully promoting and organizing one of Canada's first national scientific services, George Kingston has been called the father of Canadian Meteorology.
Financial Troubles; the Translations of Jules Verne
Beginning in 1860 Kingston suffered a number of financial reverses resulting from his publishing activities, and by 1868 was very nearly bankrupt. In fact he was forced to accept a grant of £50 from the Royal Literary Fund and a few months later £100 from the Queen's Civil List. The financial troubles continued and resulted in Kingston living as a recluse during the last ten years of his life.Beginning in the 1870s Kingston entered into a contract with the publishers Sampson Low and Marston to translate some works of the French author Jules Verne
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
. These are the works for which Kingston is most remembered today, but although they were all published under his name, the translations were actually done by his wife, Agnes Kinloch Kingston. Although this fact was generally known in literary circles, and actually mentioned in Mrs. Kingston's obituary in 1913, it was apparently forgotten until it was revived in the 20th Century edition of the Dictionary of National Biography in 2004. The Verne books which Mrs. Kingston translated are:
- The Mysterious IslandThe Mysterious IslandThe Mysterious Island is a novel by Jules Verne, published in 1874. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Jules Férat. The novel is a sequel to Verne's famous Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaways, though thematically it is...
, Sampson Low et al., 3 volumes: 1875, reprinted by Scribner, Armstrong, & Co., New York, 1 volume: 1876 - Michael StrogoffMichael StrogoffMichael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar is a novel written by Jules Verne in 1876. Critics consider it one of Verne's best books. Unlike some of Verne's other famous novels, it is not science fiction, but a scientific phenomenon is a plot device. The book was later adapted to a play, by Verne...
, Sampson Low et al.: 1876, reprinted by Scribner, Armstrong, & Co., "revised by Julius Chambers": 1877 - The Child of the Cavern; or Strange Doings UndergroundThe Child of the CavernThe Child of the Cavern is a novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in April 1877. The first UK edition was published as The Child of the Cavern; or Strange Doings Underground, in October 1877 by Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington of London.Alternative English titles for this...
, Sampson Low et al.: 1877 - The Begum's Fortune; with an account of The Mutineers of the Bounty, Sampson Low et al.: 1879, reprinted by J. B. Lippincott: 1879
Kingston died at his family home, 3 Brondesbury Villas, Willesden, Middlesex, on 5 August 1880 and his death was registered four days later by H. C. Kingston, "present at the death". The cause of death was cited, on his death certificate, as "Cancer of Kidney Time not known Certified by J. F. Anderson MD."
External links
- Works of William Henry Giles Kingston at Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
- List of W.H.G. Kingston's books
- Frederick Morgan Collection at the University of Melbourne includes an almost complete set of Kingston's books