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WILLIAM HENRY GILES KINGSTON (1814-188o)

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Originally appearing in Volume V15, Page 820 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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WILLIAM See also:HENRY See also:GILES See also:KINGSTON (1814-188o)  , See also:English novelist, son of See also:Lucy See also:Henry See also:Kingston, was See also:born in See also:London on the 28th of See also:February 1814 . Much of his 'youth was spent at See also:Oporto, where his See also:father was a See also:merchant, but when he entered the business, he made his headquarters in London . He See also:early wrote newspaper articles on Portuguese subjects . These were translated into Portuguese, and the author received a Portuguese See also:order of See also:knighthood and a See also:pension for his services in the conclusion of the commercial treaty of 1842 . In 1844 his first See also:book, The Circassian See also:Chief, appeared, and in 1845 The See also:Prime See also:Minister, a See also:Story of the Days of the See also:Great See also:Marquis of See also:Pombal . The Lusitanian Sketches describe Kingston's travels in See also:Portugal . In "1851 See also:Peter the Whaler, his first book for boys, came out . These books proved so popular that Kingston retired from business, and devoted himself to the See also:production of tales of See also:adventure for boys . Within See also:thirty years he wrote upwards of one See also:hundred and thirty such hooks . He had a See also:practical knowledge of See also:seamanship, and his stories of the See also:sea, full of thrilling adventures and hairbreadth escapes, exactly See also:hit the See also:taste of his boy readers . Characteristic specimens of his See also:work are The Three Midshipmen; The Three Lieutenants; The Three Commanders; and The Three Admirals . He also wrote popular accounts of famous travellers by See also:land and sea, and translated some of the stories of Jules See also:Verne .

In all philanthropic schemes Kingston took deep See also:

interest; he was the See also:promoter of the See also:mission to See also:seamen; and he acted as secretary of a society for promoting an improved See also:system of See also:emigration . He was editor of the Colonist for a See also:short See also:time in 1844 and of the Colonial See also:Magazine and See also:East See also:Indian See also:Review from 1849 to 1851 . He was a supporter of the volunteer See also:movement in See also:England from the first . He died at See also:Willesden on the 5th of See also:August 1880 .

End of Article: WILLIAM HENRY GILES KINGSTON (1814-188o)
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