Correspondence from Alexander William Kinglake, 1870-1890, undated
Scope and Contents
The series includes 470 letters, mostly directly from Kinglake but also 6 from his nurse, Alice Dumper, written for or about him after he underwent an operation for cancer of the tongue in April 1889. There are also in the series a photograph of Kinglake, a limerick, notes for a critique, and 10 envelopes without corresponding letters.
Topics include Russian internal and external politics, Near Eastern politics, and English politics; characterizations of and gossip about literary, political, and society personages; theology; Kinglake's personal life and illnesses; imaginary conversations; as well as reflections from Novikova's letters and compliments to her.
Dates
- Creation: 1870-1890, undated
Biography of A.W. Kinglake (1809-1891)
Alexander William Kinglake was born near Taunton, Somerset, England and educated at Eton College and Trinity College in Cambridge University. He was called to the bar in 1837 and developed a thriving legal practice that he gave up in 1856.
After traveling to the Near East in 1835, he wrote an account entitled Eothen, which became popular after it was published in 1844. He thereafter wrote a detailed accounting of the military and diplomatic history of the Crimean War, published in 8 volumes between 1863 and 1887.
A Liberal Whig with old-fashioned views, he was a Member of Parliament for Bridgwater between 1857 and 1868.
Repository Details
Part of the University of Kansas. Kenneth Spencer Research Library Repository