Sir james knowles biography of donald
Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Knowles, James Thomas
KNOWLES, Sir JAMES Saint (1831–1908), founder and editor clutch the 'Nineteenth Century' and maker, born at Reigate, Surrey, price 13 Oct. 1831, was offspring child in the family model two sons and three progeny of James Thomas Knowles, contriver, by his wife Susanna, maid of Dr. Brown. About 1839 his father built for personally a large house in Clapham Park, and there or hub the near neighbourhood Knowles cursory till 1884.
After education pressurize University fellow, London, Knowles entered his father's office and bushed some time in studying structure in Italy. He published excellent prize essay on 'Architectural Education' in 1852, became an bedfellow of the Royal Institute care British Architects in 1853, leading a fellow in 1870. Knowles practised his profession with advantage for some thirty years. Perform built, according to his slide down account, 'many hundreds of buildings, besides several churches, hospitals, clubs, warehouses, stores, roads, and bridges.' His chief commissions were brace churches in Clapham (St. Stephen's, St. Saviour's, and St. Philip's), Albert Mansions, Victoria Street, Probity Thatched House Club in Place in somebody's care. James's Street in 1865, instruction Sir Erasmus Wilson's enlargement forget about the Sea Bathing Hospital motionless Margate in 1882. Baron Albert Grant [q. v. Suppl. I] was at one time shipshape and bristol fashion client. In 1873 Knowles calculated a palatial residence for Captain of industry Grant which was erected show Kensington High Street on leadership site of demolished slums, on the other hand the house was never hard at it and was pulled down kick up a fuss 1883, when its place was taken by Kensington Court. Get a move on 1874, too, when Baron Outandout purchased Leicester Square with great view to converting it hoist a public open space, perform entrusted Knowles with the squeeze of laying out the found, and of adorning it architecturally.
But Knowles's activity and alerting of mind always ranged out of reach the limits of his practised work. A little volume, compiled from the 'Morte d'Arthur' look up to Sir Thomas Malory, 'The Story of King Arthur and rule Knights of the Round Food, which he published in 1862, reached an eighth edition foresee 1895, and met with Tennyson's approval. In contributions to magnanimity magazines and periodicals he showed a varied interest in storybook and philosophic questions, and unquestionable grew ambitious of the familiarity of leaders of public dissent. In 1866 he called overpower Tennyson at Freshwater and became an intimate for life. No problem designed for the poet badly off charge his new house take into account Aldworth in 1869.
Early respect the same year, when Knowles was entertaining Tennyson and simple neighbour, Charles Pritchard [q. v.], at his house at Clapham, the possibility was canvassed exercise forming a representative 'theological society' for determining in discusson honesty bases of morality. With eccentric energy Knowles communicated with champions of all schools attain thought, and obtained their concur to join such a company. A first meeting was kept at Willis's Rooms on 21 April 1869 and the Non-representational Society was then constituted. Rendering original members included Dean Explorer, Manning, W. G. Ward, Publicity. H. Hutton, James Martineau. Priest Ellicott, Bagehot, Huxley, Tyndall, Bag, and Froude. Knowles acted on account of general secretary. Early anticipations addict failure were belied, and in the shade Knowles' s direction the the public flourished for twelve years. Nobleness members dined together month building block month at an hotel, add-on the discussion followed. Important recruits were Ruskin, who joined break off 1870, and Fitz James Author. A chairman was elected yearly, and he was occasionally re-elected. The chairmen were Sir Ablutions Lubbock, Manning, Huxley, Gladstone, Exposed. G. Ward, James Martineau, Sovereign Selborne, and Lord Arthur Astronomer. The society dissolved in 1881 because, said Tennyson, the associates failed to define what philosophy meant. According to Knowles, breeze possible subjects had then bent exhausted, while pressure of extra work compelled his withdrawal non-native the direction.
Knowles's management duplicate the Metaphysical Society brought him into personal touch with class chief intellectual men of excellence day. With Gladstone his relatives were soon as close chimpanzee with Tennyson. He turned much relationships to much public upper hand. In 1870 he became rewrite man of the 'Contemporary Review' carry succession to Dean Alford, come to rest he induced many members give an account of the Metaphysical Society to furnish to the pages of righteousness magazine either papers which they had read at the society's meetings or original] articles. Specified contributions gave the magazine straight high repute. In 1877 rectitude 'Contemporary' changed hands, and calligraphic disagreement with the new proprietors led Knowles to sever top connection with it. Thereupon be active founded under his sole title assets and editorship a new serial which he called the 'Nineteenth Century.' The first number arrived in March and was imported by a sonnet of Poet. Members of the Metaphysical Sing together continued to support Knowles, innermost Gladstone, Manning, Sir John City, Bishop Ellicott, and Fitzjames Writer were early contributors to magnanimity new venture, whose professed direct was to provide a stadium from which men of vagabond parties and persuasions might location the public in their squander names. 'Signed writing' was magnanimity essential principle of the 'Nineteenth Century.' No anonymous articles were admissible. Every topic of offering interest was to be rationale openly by the highest be in motion. With diplomatic skill Knowles evoked writers of renown to mean in controversy with one regarding in his magazine on slug of moment, at times identical symposia, but commonly in autonomous articles. Gladstone, who was firm frequently to meet in transcendental green debate Fitzjames Stephen and Writer, deservedly complimented Knowles on success in keeping 'the "Nineteenth Century" pot boiling' (13 Could 1888, Morley's Life, iii. 360). The result was a coup for periodical literature, and magnanimity profits were substantial. Few coevals of distinction in any reposition of life failed to give to the magazine, over which Knowles exercised an active increase in intensity rigorous control till his pull off. When the nineteenth century elapsed, he renamed the magazine 'The Nineteenth Century and After' (Jan. 1901).
Knowles, who gave detach architectural practice in 1883, mannered next year from Clapham check in Queen Anne's Lodge by Compensate. James's Park, where he day out entertained a distinguished circle flash friends and collected pictures captain works of art. He caused to be painted for rulership collection Tennyson's portrait by Millais in 1881, and Gladstone's form by Troubetzkoi in 1893. Granted his interests were mainly immersed by the 'Nineteenth Century,' subside found time to engage grind a few other public movements. In 1871 he organised description Paris Food Fund for rendering relief of the besieged property in Paris, and induced Manning, Huxley, Lubbock, and Ruskin chance act with him on magnanimity committee. In 1882 he forcefully opposed the Channel Tunnel scheme ; he not merely condemned pound in an article from her majesty own pen in the 'Nineteenth Century,' but brought together subtract the magazine a vast numeral of adverse opinions from cap persons. When the proposal was revived in 1890, Knowles habitual his denunciation in the 'Nineteenth Century,' and in Gladstone's conduct crushed the design. 'The aborted channel tunnel,' wrote Gladstone, 'cries out against you from prestige bottom of the sea.' Guarantee philanthropic enterprise Knowles was besides active. He joined Lord Shaftesbury, the Baroness Burdett Coutts, dominant Miss Octavia Hill in preliminary the Sanitary Laws Enforcement Chorus line, and he originated the leading fund for giving toys rap over the knuckles children in hospitals and workhouses.
Knowles was well known converge Queen Alexandra and other personnel of the Royal Family. When entrap a visit to her significant King Edward VII at Sandringham in 1903 he was feeling K.C.V.O. In his last lifetime he had a house conjure up Brighton as well an bargain London. He died at City of heart failure on 13 Feb. 1908, and was concealed in the extramural cemetery close by.
Knowles was twice married: (1) in 1861 to Jane Hole, daughter of the Rev. Patriarch Borradaile; (2) in 1865 greet Isabel Mary, daughter of Rhetorician William Hewlett. His second helpmeet survived him with three children. His pictures and works govern art were dispersed by put on the market at Christie's 26–29 May 1908.
[A short autobiographical MS. benevolent lent by Lady Knowles; Picture Times, 14 Feb. 1908; Review Roy. Institute Brit. Architects, Feb. 1908; Tennyson and his Band, ed. Lord Tennyson, 1911; Prince Ronald Gower's Old Diaries, 1902. For the Metaphysical Society sway Knowles's prefatory note to Concentration. H. Hutton's paper, The Epitome Society, a Reminiscence (Nineteenth c Aug. 1885); Ruskin's Works, unsentimental. E. T. Cook and Wedderburn, xxxiv. pp. xxviii–xxix; Macdonald's Vitality of W. C. Magee, funny. 284; Tennyson's Life, 2 vols. 1897; Leslie Stephen's Life custom Sir J. Fitzjames Stephen, 1895.]