Charles Kent

Born in London in 1823, Charles Kent was educated at Prior Park and Oscott before beginning a long career in journalism. He became editor of The Sun in 1845 and later balanced literary work with legal studies, being called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1859, though he ultimately devoted himself chiefly to writing and editing.

Kent wrote poetry, biography, criticism, and reference works. His books included Poems (1870), A Mythological Dictionary (1870), Charles Dickens as a Reader (1872), The Wit and Wisdom of Lord Lytton (1883), The Humour and Pathos of Charles Dickens (1884), and Leigh Hunt as an Essayist (1888). In later years he became especially known for editorial work on major English authors, including Burns, Charles Lamb, Thomas Moore, and Lord Lytton.

A personal friend of Charles Dickens, he contributed to Household Words and All the Year Round while Dickens was editor. He also edited the Weekly Register, a Roman Catholic paper, from 1874 to 1881. Charles Kent died in 1902, leaving behind the record of a versatile Victorian literary career.