Charles Kingsley.

His father, a clergyman, died when Charles Kingsley was young. Born on 12 July 1819 at Holne Vicarage, Devon, to Mary Lucas, Kingsley later attended Bristol Grammar School, King’s College London, and Magdalene College, Cambridge. Among his siblings were novelist Henry Kingsley and Charlotte Kingsley Chanter.

Kingsley wrote historical novels including Westward Ho! 1855 and Hereward the Wake 1866. The Water Babies 1863, a children’s fantasy, critiques social injustices. Kingsley publicly accepted Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, a stance he promoted in his writings. Film adaptations of his works include The Sands of Dee 1912 and And Women Must Weep 1922.

In 1844, Kingsley married Frances Eliza Grenfell. Their daughter, Lucas Malet, became a noted novelist. He served as rector of Eversley, Hampshire, from 1844 until his death. He died on 23 January 1875 at Eversley, where he had spent much of his pastoral life.

Kingsley’s The Water Babies remains a children’s literature classic. His support for Darwin’s theory shifted Victorian religious thought. His historical novels influenced later writers, and his social commentaries anticipated the Christian Socialist movement. Film adaptations, including Westward Ho! 1919, extended his reach into the 20th century.