St. Mary's Church, Eversley
Charles Kingsley

Charles Kingsley (1819 - 1875)

Charles Kingsley holds a pivotal place in the history of St. Mary's Church, Eversley. It was he who 'put Eversley on the map': by inviting notable people of his day to the Church and to the Rectory, by preaching sermons in which he pulled no punches on social and religious issues, by writing numerous books and pamphlets, and by his deep interest in natural history. He was by nature an inquisitive man and a ‘searcher for the truth’, not just in religious matters but all the many subjects in which he was interested. He made his mark is so many fields he can justifiably called “a man of many parts”.

Although we focus here mainly on his time at Eversley (a period of 33 years in his 55-year life), we also include several items which give a broader picture of the man. These may be selected below.

1. Early years (from birth to ordination)

2. A man of many parts (an overview of his varied life)

3. His life in Eversley (comments and impressions)

4. A Kingsley sermon (example of one of his sermons - changed periodically)

5. Publications (a list of Kingsley's main publications, with dates).

Links to other sites about Charles Kingsley will shortly be given under Contacts/Links.