Mary Kingsley

Precious McKenzie Stearns (Rocky Mountain College)

Ed. by Grace Moore, University of Otago
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.07: English Writing and Culture of the Victorian Period, 1837-1901.
Vol. editors: Gillian Fenwick (University of Toronto), Jessica Gossling (Goldsmiths College, University of London)

Dates

Born 13 Oct 1862
Died 3 Jun 1900
Activity 1882-1900

Places

Born in England
Active in England

Activities

Primary

Travel writer

Resources

Kingsley's Works

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Mary Kingsley (1862-1900) was a noted Victorian travel writer whose accounts on West Africa captivated the British reading public. Kingsley was the daughter of traveller and physician George Kingsley and Mary Bailey. For most of her young life, Mary Kingsley lived with her mother; her father was rarely at home, owing to his research journeys with the Earl of Pembroke. Her uncle, Charles Kingsley, was a prominent writer on social issues. In addition to working as a naturalist, Mary Kingsley volunteered to serve as a nurse and went to Simon’s Town, South Africa, during the Boer War. On June 3, 1900, Kingsley died of typhoid fever in South Africa.

Katherine Frank, a Kingsley scholar, credits Kingsley’s access to her father’s library as the reason for her interest in Africa. As a child,

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1326 words

Citation: McKenzie Stearns, Precious. "Mary Kingsley". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 June 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2515, accessed 23 November 2024.]