author
Edward Maitland
1824–1897
Drawn to spiritual questions and social reform, this Victorian writer moved from journalism and fiction into a lifelong search for hidden meanings in religion. His books became closely linked with the mystical revival of the late nineteenth century.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Ipswich on October 27, 1824, Edward Maitland was educated at Caius College, Cambridge. He was originally intended for the Church, but he did not take holy orders, and his life took a more varied path through travel, public service, journalism, and writing.
Maitland spent time in California and Australia, where he worked in the colonial civil service before returning to England. He wrote fiction as well as autobiographical and religious works, but he is best remembered for his spiritual and humanitarian interests.
In his later years he became closely associated with Anna Bonus Kingsford, and together they developed an esoteric reading of Christianity that shaped books such as The Perfect Way; or, The Finding of Christ. He died on October 2, 1897, leaving behind a body of work that blends memoir, mysticism, and the moral debates of Victorian England.