Alexander William Kinglake
Encyclopedia
Alexander William Kinglake (5 August 1809 – 2 January 1891) was an English
travel writer and historian.
He was born near Taunton
, Somerset
and educated at Eton College
and Trinity College, Cambridge
. He was called to the Bar in 1837, and built up a thriving legal practice, which in 1856 he abandoned in order to devote himself to literature and public life.
His first literary venture had been Eothen; or Traces of travel brought home from the East, (London: J. Ollivier
, 1844), a very popular work of Eastern travel, apparently first published anonymously, in which he described a journey he made about ten years earlier in Syria, Palestine and Egypt, together with his Eton contemporary Lord Pollington
. Elliot Warburton said it evoked "the East itself in vital actual reality" and it was instantly successful. However, his magnum opus
was his Invasion of the Crimea
, in 8 volumes, published from 1863 to 1887 by Blackwood, Edinburgh, one of the most effective works of its class. It has been accused of being too favourable to Lord Raglan
, and unduly hostile to Napoleon III
, for whom the author had an extreme aversion.
The town of Kinglake
in Victoria, Australia, and the adjacent national park are named after him.
A Whig, Kinglake was elected at the 1857 general election
as one of the two Members of Parliament
(MP) for Bridgwater
, having unsuccessfully contested the seat in 1852
. He was returned at next two general elections, but the result of the 1868 general election
in Bridgwater was voided on petition on 26 February 1869. No by-election was held, and after a Royal Commission
found that there had extensive corruption, the town was disenfranchised in 1870.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
travel writer and historian.
He was born near Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. He was called to the Bar in 1837, and built up a thriving legal practice, which in 1856 he abandoned in order to devote himself to literature and public life.
His first literary venture had been Eothen; or Traces of travel brought home from the East, (London: J. Ollivier
John Ollivier
John Ollivier was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Christchurch, New Zealand.He represented the Christchurch Country electorate from 1856 to 1860 when he resigned.-References:...
, 1844), a very popular work of Eastern travel, apparently first published anonymously, in which he described a journey he made about ten years earlier in Syria, Palestine and Egypt, together with his Eton contemporary Lord Pollington
John Savile, 4th Earl of Mexborough
John Charles George Savile, 4th Earl of Mexborough , styled Viscount Pollington between 1830 and 1860, was a British peer and Tory politician...
. Elliot Warburton said it evoked "the East itself in vital actual reality" and it was instantly successful. However, his magnum opus
Masterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
was his Invasion of the Crimea
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, in 8 volumes, published from 1863 to 1887 by Blackwood, Edinburgh, one of the most effective works of its class. It has been accused of being too favourable to Lord Raglan
FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan
Field Marshal FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, GCB, PC , known before 1852 as Lord FitzRoy Somerset, was a British soldier.-Early life:...
, and unduly hostile to Napoleon III
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
, for whom the author had an extreme aversion.
The town of Kinglake
Kinglake, Victoria
Kinglake is a town in Victoria, Australia situated in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. At the 2006 Census, Kinglake had a population of 1482...
in Victoria, Australia, and the adjacent national park are named after him.
A Whig, Kinglake was elected at the 1857 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1857
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
as one of the two Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Bridgwater
Bridgwater (UK Parliament constituency)
Bridgwater was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, until 2010 when it was replaced by the Bridgwater and West Somerset constituency...
, having unsuccessfully contested the seat in 1852
United Kingdom general election, 1852
The July 1852 United Kingdom general election was a watershed election in the formation of the modern political parties of Britain. Following 1852, the Tory/Conservative party became, more completely, the party of the rural aristocracy, while the Whig/Liberal party became the party of the rising...
. He was returned at next two general elections, but the result of the 1868 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1868
The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom...
in Bridgwater was voided on petition on 26 February 1869. No by-election was held, and after a Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
found that there had extensive corruption, the town was disenfranchised in 1870.