Charles Lever was born in Dublin on 31 August, 1806 , the son of a well-to-do English immigrant father and an Irish mother descended from Cromwellian settlers. After graduating from Trinity College in 1827, he travelled on the Continent and met both Goethe and the future emperor, Napoleon III. Having sailed to Quebec on an emigrant ship, he returned to Dublin to study for his medical degree at St Steven's hospital.

Practising medicine in Kilkee, Clare and Portstewart, he served under the Board of Health during the worst ravages of the cholera epidemic of 1832. This experience is reflected in two of his best novels: St Patrick's Eve (1845) and The Martins of Cro' Martin (1856).

In the late 1830s, Lever began to contribute articles and stories to a number of periodicals, achieving enormous success with his contribution of Harry Lorrequer to the Dublin University Magazine. Over the next thirty years he completed a further twenty-nine novels and five volumes of essays.

In 1840 he left Ireland to live in Brussels, but returned in 1842 to become editor of the DUM. His tenure lasted until 1845, when he again went to live abroad.

Lever was appointed to the vice-consulship of Spezzia in Italy in 1857 and subsequently to the consulship of Trieste. Perhaps his most important official duty during these years was to represent Britain at the funeral of the executed Emperor of Mexico, Maximilian Bonaparte. Lever died on 1 June, 1872 leaving two daughters (he was predeceased by his wife Catherine and by his only son, Charles). He is buried next to his wife in the English cemetery at Trieste.

For further details and order information contact:
Colin Smythe Ltd or sales@colinsmythe.co.uk

E-mail the Author:
Click this link to e-mail S. P. Haddelsey
or send mail to: sphaddelsey@yahoo.co.uk