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William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist, famed mostly for his book Vanity Fair
Anne Becher and WMT |
William Makepeace Thackeray was born in Calcutta, Bengal, India on 18 July 1811 to Richmond Thackeray and Anne (Becher) Thackeray. [1]
His father died when William was four, and his mother sent him to England to be educated. (She stayed behind in India.) Thackeray attended schools in Southampton, Chiswick, and Charterhouse School, which he disliked. He matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1829. After leaving Cambridge in 1830, Thackeray travelled the continent of Europe, visiting Paris and Germany. He then came back to England and began to study law at the Middle Temple (although he did not complete his studies).
At age 21 (1832), Thackeray received his inheritance from his father, but used it up by gambling, funding two unsuccessful newspapers, and because of the collapse of two Indian banks. This meant he had to find employment.
On 20 August 1836 Thackeray married Isabella Gethin Shawe at the British Embassy, Ile-de-France, Paris, France. [2] The couple had three children: Anne Isabella 1837, Jane (who died aged 8 months), and Harriet Marian.
Thackeray's wife, Isabella, became severely ill with depression in 1840. He took her to Ireland, but she tried to commit suicide on the journey and the trip was not a success. For two years from November 1840 Isabella was frequently under medical care, culminating in asylums in Paris. Thackeray removed her and took her back to England, where he placed her with a Mrs Bakewell in Camberwell. This seems to have worked; she outlived him by 30 years.
Although Thackeray never divorced Isabella, he had several platonic friendships with other women.
At this time, Thackeray wrote art criticism, short stories and two longer fictional works: Catherine and The Luck of Barry Lyndon. He also reviewed books for The Times and contributed regularly to other newspapers. He wrote for Punch magazine for eleven years.Vanity Fair first appeared in serial format and was published as a book in 1848. Thackeray became wildly popular, even with the people he had satirised. He was held as an equal of Charles Dickens, and continued to produce large - successul - novels. His popularity meant that lecture tours in the United States and in London were demanded.
On the 1851 census, Thackeray is described as a 'Barrister. Periodical Writer', and is living with his two daughters and three servants.[3]
Thackeray in his study |
By the 1861 census, this time in Brompton, Middlesex, he is now described as 'Writer of Novels; Barrister Not In Practice'; while still living with both daughters, he now has a friend from Paris staying, plus four servants including a footman. [4]
Thackeray's health became worse during the 1850s. This was not helped by the large amounts of eating and drinking in which he partook, together with an addiction to spicy peppers and a lack of exercise.
He passed away on 23 December 1863 at the age of 52 from a stroke. His death was registered in Westminster, London, England. [5] His funeral at Kensington Gardens was attended by some 7,000 people and he is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery in the London Borough of Brent. Probate was granted to Anne Isabella Thackeray and Harriet Marian Thackeray on 5 Mar 1864. [6]
For complete bibliography, please see freespace page
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