author
Edward Osler
1798–1863
Trained as a surgeon before turning to journalism and books, he built a varied career that moved from medicine into editing, biography, poetry, and hymn writing. His best-known work, a life of Admiral Lord Exmouth, helped make him a recognizable literary figure in nineteenth-century Britain.
1 Audiobook
The Life of Admiral Viscount Exmouth
by Edward Osler
About the author
Born in Falmouth in January 1798, he was originally prepared for a medical career and studied at Guy’s Hospital in London. Early in adult life he worked as a house surgeon at Swansea Infirmary, showing the practical side of a life that would later become much more literary.
After leaving medicine as his main profession, he devoted himself to writing and editing. He was known as a miscellaneous writer, produced biography and verse, and became especially associated with the Royal Cornwall Gazette. His Life of Lord Exmouth was one of his most noted books, and he also contributed hymns that continued to circulate after his death.
He died in March 1863. What makes him interesting now is the range of his career: he was not only an author, but someone who moved between science, newspapers, religion, and popular historical writing with unusual ease.