= William_Henry_Giles

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= William_Henry_Giles_Kingston =
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Introduction
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William Henry Giles Kingston (28 February 1814 - 5 August 1880), often
credited as W. H. G. Kingston, was an English writer of boys'
adventure novels.

Life
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William Henry Giles Kingston was born in Harley Street, London on 28
February 1814. He was the eldest son of Lucy Henry Kingston (d.1852)
and his wife Frances Sophia Rooke (b.1789), daughter of Sir Giles
Rooke, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. Kingston's paternal
grandfather John Kingston (1736-1820) was a Member of Parliament who
staunchly supported the Abolition of the Slave Trade, despite having a
plantation in Demerara. His father Lucy entered into the wine business
in Porto, and Kingston lived there for many years, making frequent
voyages to England and developing a lifelong affection for the sea.

He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and afterwards entered
his father's wine business, but soon indulged in 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 Maria da Gloria an order
of Portuguese knighthood and a pension.

His first book was 'The Circassian Chief', a story published in 1844.
While still living in Porto, he wrote 'The Prime Minister', a
historical novel based loosely on the life of Sebastião José de
Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, and 'Lusitanian Sketches',
descriptions of travels in Portugal. Settling in England, he
interested himself in the emigration movement, edited 'The Colonist'
and 'The Colonial Magazine and East India Review' in 1844, was
honorary secretary of a colonisation society, wrote 'Some Suggestions
for a System of General Emigration' in 1848, lectured on colonisation
in 1849, published a manual for colonists entitled '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. He started the 'Union Jack', a
paper for boys, only a few months before his death. His stories number
more than a hundred; the best known 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 (France, Italy and Portugal)
* "In The Eastern Seas", 1871
* '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' (also known as 'Livingstone's
Travels'), 1886
* 'Travels of Mungo Park, Denham and Clapperton', 1886

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 such as
'Half-Hours with the Kings and Queens of England' (1876).

He rewrote Richard Johnson's 1596 book 'The Seven Champions of
Christendom' to bring the language into more contemporary English.

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, he wrote a
farewell letter on 2 August 1880 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 4 August 1853, Kingston married Agnes Kinloch, daughter of Captain
Charles Kinloch of the 52nd Light Infantry who had served in the
Peninsular War as aide-de-camp to General Sir John Hope. Their
honeymoon was spent in Canada, where Kingston acquired the background
for many of his later novels, and they spent their first Christmas at
Quebec City with the family of William Collis Meredith, Chief Justice
of Quebec. 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. She bore her husband eight children but all died early, and
this branch of the family is now extinct.

Kingston's brother George Kingston (1816-1886) was a Canadian
professor, meteorologist, author, and public servant. He has been
called the father of Canadian Meteorology for successfully promoting
and organising one of Canada's first national scientific services.

Financial troubles and translations of Jules Verne
====================================================
Beginning in 1860, Kingston suffered a number of financial reverses
resulting from his publishing activities and, by 1868, he 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
publishers Sampson Low and Marston to translate some works of French
author Jules Verne. These are the works for which Kingston is most
remembered today. They were all published under his name, but the
translations were actually done by his wife Agnes Kinloch Kingston.
This fact was generally known in literary circles, and actually
mentioned in Mrs. Kingston's obituary in 1913, but 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 Island', Sampson Low et al., 3 volumes: 1875,
reprinted by Scribner, Armstrong, & Co., New York, 1 volume: 1876
* 'Michael Strogoff', Sampson Low et al.: 1876, reprinted by Scribner,
Armstrong, & Co., "revised by Julius Chambers": 1877
* 'The Child of the Cavern; or Strange Doings Underground', 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 at 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 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 wrote a tale about the notorious outlaw Ninco Nanco called
'Ninco Nanco, The Neapolitan Brigand', from 'Foxholme Hall'.

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. He
received a Portuguese knighthood for services in negotiating a
commercial treaty with Portugal, and a Government pension for his
literary labours.

He is mentioned by Robert Louis Stevenson in the poem prefacing
'Treasure Island':

::::::If studious youth no longer crave,
::::::His ancient appetites forgot,
::::::Kingston, or Ballantyne the brave,
::::::Or Cooper of the wood and wave ...

==List of titles==
* The Circassian Chief: A Romance of Russia. 3 vol. London: Bentley,
1843.
* The Prime Minister: An Historical Romance. 3 vol. London: Bentley,
1845.
* The Albatross: or, Voices from the Ocean. A Tale of the Sea. 3 vol.
London: Henry Hurst, 1849.
* The Pirate of the Mediterranean: A Tale of the Sea. 3 vol. London:
T. C. Newby, 1851.
* The Ocean Queen and the Spirit of the Storm: A New Fairy Tale of the
Southern Seas. 1 vol. London: Bosworth, 1851.
* Peter the Whaler: His Early Life and Adventures in the Arctic
Regions. 1 vol. London: Grant and Griffith, 1851.
* Mark Seaworth: A Tale of the Indian Ocean. 1 vol. London: Grant
and Griffith, 1852.
* Manco, the Peruvian Chief: or, An Englishman's Adventures in the
Country of the Incas. 1 vol. London: Grant and Griffith, 1853.
* Salt Water: or, Sea Life and Adventures of Neil D'Arcy, the
Midshipman. 1 vol. London: Grant and Griffith, 1857.
* Fred Markham in Russia: or, The Boy Travellers in the Land of the
Czar. 1 vol. London: Griffith and Farran, 1858.
* Old Jack: A Man-of-War's-Man and South-Sea Whaler. 1 vol.
Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1859.
* Round the World: A Tale for Boys. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and
Sons, 1859.
* The Early Life of Old Jack: A Sea Tale. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson
and Sons, 1859.
* The Cruise of the Frolic: or, Yachting Experiences of Barnaby Brine,
Esq., R.N.. 2 vol. London: Sampson Low, 1860.
* Digby Heathcote: or, The Early Days of a County Gentleman's Son and
Heir. 1 vol. London: Routledge, 1860.
* My First Voyage to Southern Seas. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and
Sons, 1860.
* Will Weatherhelm: or, The Yarn of an Old Sailor about his Early Life
and Adventures. 1 vol. London: Griffith and Farran, 1860.
* Ernest Bracebridge: or, Schoolboy Days. 1 vol. London: Sampson
Low, 1860.
* Jack Buntline: or, Life on the Ocean. 1 vol. London: Sampson Low,
1861.
* The Fire-Ships: A Tale of the Last Naval War. 3 vol. London:
Sampson Low, 1862.
* True Blue: or, The Life and Adventures of a British Seaman of the
Old School. 1 vol. London: Griffith and Farran, 1862.
* Marmaduke Merry the Midshipman: or, My Early Days at Sea. 1 vol.
London: W. Kent and Co., 1862.
* Adventures of Dick Onslow among the Red Skins. 1 vol. London: Dean
and Son, 1863.
* The Three Midshipmen. 1 vol. London: Routledge, 1863.
* Tales for all ages. 1 vol. London: Bickers and Bush, 1863.
* The Log House by the Lake: A Tale of Canada. 1 vol. London: S. P.
C. K., 1864.
* The Gilpins and their Fortunes: An Australian Tale. 1 vol. London:
S. P. C. K., 1865.
* Philip Mavor: or, Life amongst the Kaffirs. 1 vol. London: S. P.
C. K., 1865.
* Rob Nixon, the Old White Trapper: A Tale of Central British North
America. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1865.
* Antony Waymouth: or, The Gentlemen Adventurers. A Chronicle of the
Sea. 1 vol. London: Frederick Warne, 1865.
* Mountain Moggy: or, The Stoning of the Witch. A Tale for the Young.
1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1866.
* Washed Ashore: or, The Tower of Stormount Bay. 1 vol. London:
Jackson, Walford and Hodder, 1866.
* My First Cruise. 1 vol. London: Cassell, 1866.
* Foxholme Hall: A Legend of Christmas and Other Amusing Tales for
Boys. 1 vol. London: Virtue, 1867.
* Paul Gerrard, the Cabin Boy. 1 vol. London: Routledge, 1867.
* Ralph Clavering: or, We must try before we can do. 1 vol. London:
Frederick Warne, 1867.
* Three Hundred Years Ago: or, The Martyr of Brentwood. 1 vol.
London: Partridge, 1868.
* Count Ulrich von Lindburg: A Tale of the Reformation in Germany. 1
vol. London: Partridge, 1868.
* The Perils and Adventures of Harry Skipwith by Sea and Land. 1 vol.
London: Virtue, 1868.
* The Pirates' Treasure: A Legend of Panama. 1 vol. London: Virtue,
1868.
* The Last Look: A Tale of the Spanish Inquisition. 1 vol. London:
Partridge, 1869.
* Our Fresh and Salt Water Tutors: A Story of that Good Old Time Our
School Days at the Cape. 1 vol. London: Sampson Low, 1869.
* Adrift in a Boat. 1 vol. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1869.
* The Royal Merchant: or, Events in the Days of Sir Thomas Gresham. 1
vol. London: Partridge, 1870.
* John Deane of Nottingham: His Adventures and Exploits. A Tale of the
Times of William of Orange and Queen Anne. 1 vol. London: Griffith
and Farran, 1870.
* Sunshine Bill. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1870.
* At the South Pole: or, The Adventures of Richard Pengelley, Mariner.
1 vol. London: Cassell, 1870.
* Little Ben Hadden: or, Do Right, Whatever Comes of It. 1 vol.
London: R. T. S., 1870.
* Off to Sea: or, The Adventures of Jovial Jack Junker on his Road to
Fame. 1 vol. London: Cassell, 1870.
* In the Eastern Seas: or, The Regions of the Bird of Paradise. A Tale
for Boys. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1871.
* In the Wilds of Africa: A Tale for Boys. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson
and Sons, 1871.
* A True Hero: or, The Story of William Penn. 1 vol. London: Sunday
School Union, 1871.
* On the Banks of the Amazon: or, A Boy's Journal of his Adventures in
the Tropical Wilds of South America. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and
Sons, 1872.
* The Fortunes of the "Ranger" and "Crusader": A Tale of Two Ships,
and the Adventures of their Passengers and Crews. 1 vol. Edinburgh:
Gall & Inglis, 1872.
* Ben Burton: or, Born and Bred at Sea. 1 vol. London: Sampson Low,
1872.
* The Trapper's Son. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Gall & Inglis, 1873.
* The African Trader: or, The Adventures of Harry Bayford. 1 vol.
Edinburgh: Gall & Inglis, 1873.
* Michael Penguyne: or, Fisher Life on the Cornish Coast. 1 vol.
London: S. P. C. K., 1873.
* Janet M'Laren: or, The Faithful Nurse. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Gall
& Inglis, 1873.
* The History of Little Peter the Ship-boy. 1 vol. London: R. T. S.,
1873.
* Archibald Hughson, the Young Shetlander. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Gall
& Inglis, 1873.
* Waihoura: or, The New Zealand Girl. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Gall &
Inglis, 1873.
* Mary Liddiard: or, The Missionary's Daughter. A Tale of the Pacific.
1 vol. Edinburgh: Gall & Inglis, 1873.
* The Woodcutter of Gutech. 1 vol. London: R. T. S., 1873.
* Milicent Courtenay's Diary: or, The Experiences of a Young Lady at
Home and Abroad. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Gall & Inglis, 1873.
* The Heroic Wife: or, The Wanderers on the Amazon. 1 vol. London:
Griffith and Farran, 1874.
* Tales of the Sea. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Gall & Inglis, 1874.
* The Two Shipmates. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1874.
* Roger Kyffin's Ward. 1 vol. London: Routledge, 1874.
* The Merchant of Haarlem: A Tale of King Philip's Reign in the
Netherlands. 1 vol. London: Partridge, 1874.
* Eldol the Druid: or, The Dawn of Christianity in Britain. 1 vol.
London: Partridge, 1874.
* Charley Laurel: A Story of Adventure by Sea and Land. 1 vol.
London: Sunday School Union, 1874.
* Hurricane Hurry: or, The Adventures of a Naval Officer Afloat and on
Shore during the American War of Ind. 1 vol. London: Griffith and
Farran, 1874.
* The Three Lieutenants: or, Naval Life in the Nineteenth Century. 1
vol. London: Griffith and Farran, 1875.
* The Settlers: A Tale of Virginia. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K.,
1875.
* The South Sea Whaler: A Story of the Loss of the "Champion" and the
Adventures of her Crew. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1875.
* The Child of the Wreck: or, The Loss of the Royal George. 1 vol.
London: Griffith and Farran, 1876.
* The Three Commanders: or, Active Service Afloat in Modern Days. 1
vol. London: Griffith and Farran, 1876.
* Twice Lost: A Story of Shipwreck, and of Adventure in the Wilds of
Australia. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1876.
* Snow-Shoes and Canoes: or, The Early Days of a Fur-trader in the
Hudson's Bay Territory. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1876.
* The Young Rajah: A Story of Indian Life and Adventure. 1 vol.
Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1876.
* The Wanderers: or, Adventures in the Wilds of Trinidad and up the
Orinoco. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1876.
* Saved from the Sea: or, The Loss of the "Viper," and the Adventures
of her Crew in the Great Sahara. 1 vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons,
1876.
* Yachting Tales. 1 vol. London: Hunt & Co., 1877.
* Clara Maynard: or, The True and the False. A Tale of the Times. 1
vol. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1877.
* Jovinian: or, The Early Days of Papal Rome. A Tale. 1 vol. London:
Hodder and Stoughton, 1877.
* The Voyage of the "Steadfast": or, The Young Missionaries in the
Pacific. 1 vol. London: R. T. S., 1877.
* The Young Llanero: A Story of War and Wild Life in Venezuela. 1
vol. Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1877.
* The Missing Ship. 1 vol. London: Griffith and Farran, 1877.
* Owen Hartley: or, Ups and Downs. A Tale of the Land and Sea. 1 vol.
London: S. P. C. K., 1877.
* With Axe and Rifle: or, The Western Pioneers. 1 vol. London:
Sampson Low, 1878.
* The Three Admirals, and the Adventures of their Young Followers. 1
vol. London: Griffith and Farran, 1878.
* In the Rocky Mountains: A Tale of Adventure. 1 vol. Edinburgh:
Nelson and Sons, 1878.
* The Two Supercargoes: or, Adventures in Savage Africa. 1 vol.
London: Sampson Low, 1878.
* The Mate of the "Lily": or, Notes from Harry Musgrave's Log Book. 1
vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1878.
* Ned Garth: or, Made Prisoner in Africa. A Tale of the Slave Trade.
1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1878.
* The Frontier Fort: or, Stirring Times in the Northwest Territory of
British America. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1879.
* The Rival Crusoes. 1 vol. London: Griffith and Farran, 1879.
* Kidnapping in the Pacific: or, The Adventures of Boas Ringdon. A
Long Yarn in Four Lengths. 1 vol. London: Routledge, 1879.
* In New Granada: or, Heroes and Patriots. A Tale for Boys. 1 vol.
Edinburgh: Nelson and Sons, 1879.
*The Cruise of the Dainty, 1880
* The Boy who Sailed with Blake: and, The Orphans. 1 vol. London:
Sunday School Union, 1880.
* Voyages and Travels of Count Funnibos and Baron Stilkin. 1 vol.
London: S. P. C. K., 1880.
* Dick Cheveley: His Adventures and Misadventures. 1 vol. London:
Sampson Low, 1880.
* Norman Vallery: or, How to Overcome Evil with Good. 1 vol.
Edinburgh: Gall & Inglis, 1880.
* The Ferryman of Brill and Other Stories. 1 vol. London: Cassell,
1880.
* The Young Berringtons: or, The Boy Explorers. 1 vol. London:
Cassell, 1880.
* The Lily of Leyden. 1 vol. London: S. P. C. K., 1880.
* The Two Voyages: or, Midnight and Daylight. 1 vol. London: R. T.
S., 1881.
* Adventures in the Far West. 1 vol. London: Routledge, 1881.
* Roger Willoughby: or, The Times of Benbow. A Tale of the Sea and
Land. 1 vol. London: James Nisbet, 1881.
* The Heir of Kilfinnan: A Tale of the Shore and Ocean. 1 vol.
London: Sampson Low, 1881.
* Peter Biddulph: The Rise and Progress of an Australian Settler. 1
vol. London: Sunday School Union, 1881.
* Peter Trawl: or, The Adventures of a Whaler. 1 vol. London: Hodder
and Stoughton, 1881.
* James Braithwaite, the Supercargo: The Story of his Adventures
Ashore and Afloat. 1 vol. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1882.
* Arctic Adventures. 1 vol. London: Routledge, 1882.
* Paddy Finn: or, The Adventures of a Midshipman Afloat and Ashore. 1
vol. London: Griffith and Farran, 1883.
* Adventures in Africa by an African Trader. 1 vol. London:
Routledge, 1883.
* Won from the Waves: or, The Story of Maiden May. 1 vol. London:
Griffith and Farran, 1883.
* From Powder Monkey to Admiral: A Story of Naval Adventure. 1 vol.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1883.
* Adventures in India. 1 vol. London: Routledge, 1884.
* Villegagnon: A Tale of the Huguenot Persecution. 1 vol. London:
Sunday School Union, 1886.

External links
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*
*
*
* [http://manybooks.net/authors/kingstonwhg.html List of W.H.G.
Kingston's books]
*
[http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/collections/special/collections/rarebooks/morgan.html
Frederick Morgan Collection] at the University of Melbourne includes
an almost complete set of Kingston's books

License
=========
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Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Giles_Kingston