Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

WILLIAM THOMAS STEAD (1849– )

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V25, Page 817 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

See also:

WILLIAM See also:THOMAS See also:STEAD (1849– )  , See also:English journalist, was See also:born at Embleton, See also:Northumberland, on the 5th of See also:July 1849, the son of a Congregational See also:minister . He went to school at See also:Wakefield, but was See also:early apprenticed in a See also:merchant's See also:office at See also:Newcastle-on-See also:Tyne; he soon gravitated however, into See also:journal-ism, and in 1871 became editor of the See also:Darlington See also:Northern See also:Echo . In 188o he went to See also:London to be assistant editor of the See also:Pall Mall See also:Gazette under See also:John See also:Morley, and when the latter retired he became editor (1883–1889) . Up to 1885 he had distinguished himself for his vigorous handling of public affairs, and his brilliant modernity in the presentation of See also:news . He introduced the " interview," made a feature of the Pall Mall " extras " (see also See also:NEWSPAPERS: London), and his enterprise and originality exercised a potent See also:influence on contemporary journalism and politics . His See also:enthusiasm, however, carried him too far when in 1885 he entered upon a crusade against See also:vice by See also:publishing a See also:series of articles on the " See also:Maiden See also:Tribute of See also:Modern See also:Babylon." Though his See also:action undoubtedly furthered the passing .of the Criminal See also:Law See also:Amendment See also:Act, it made his position on the See also:paper impossible; and his imprisonment at See also:Holloway for three months on a See also:charge arising out of his crusade made his connexion with the whole subject a source of considerable See also:prejudice . On leaving the Pall Mall he founded the monthly See also:Review of Reviews (189o), and his abundant See also:energy and facile See also:pen found See also:scope in many other directions in journalism of an advanced humanitarian type . He started cheap reprints (See also:Penny Poets and See also:Prose See also:Classics, &c.), conducted a spiritualistic See also:organ, called Borderland (1893-1897), in which he gave full See also:play to his See also:interest in psychical See also:research; and became an enthusiastic supporter of the See also:peace See also:movement, and of many other movements, popular and unpopular, in which he impressed the public generally as an extreme visionary, though his See also:practical energy was recognized by a considerable circle of admirers and pupils . At the See also:time of the See also:Boer See also:War of 1899 he threw himself into the Boer cause and attacked the See also:government with characteristic violence . Yet amid all his unpopularity, and all the suspicion and opposition engendered by his methods, his See also:personality remained a forceful one both in public and private See also:life . He was an early imperialist dreamer, whose influence on See also:Cecil See also:Rhodes in See also:South See also:Africa remained of See also:primary importance; and many politicians and statesmen, who on most subjects were completely at variance with his ideas, nevertheless owed something to them . Mr Rhodes made him his confidant, and was inspired in his will by his suggestions; and Mr See also:Stead was intended to be one of Mr Rhodes's executors, though his name was struck out after the Boer War (see his Last Will and Testament of C .

J . Rhodes, 1902) . The number of his publications gradually became very large, as he wrote with facility and sensational fervour on all sorts of subjects, from The Truth about See also:

Russia (1888) to If See also:Christ came to See also:Chicago (1893), and from Mrs See also:Booth (1900) to The Americanization of the See also:World (1902) . In private life his keen sense of merit and kindly interest influenced many aspirants to journalism and literature .

End of Article: WILLIAM THOMAS STEAD (1849– )
[back]
STE ANNE DE BEAUPRE
[next]
STEADY MOTION OF WATER IN OPEN CHANNELS OF

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click and select "copy." Paste it into a website, email, or other HTML document.