Alfred Thomas Story
Encyclopedia
Alfred Thomas Story was an English journalist, poet and author of numerous books. He was born in North Cave
, in the county of York
, the fourth child in the large family of James Story. His family was an old Durham
branch of the Northumbrian Story family. His father, a property-owner and keen amateur musician, composer and poet, died when his son was about ten years of age. He was educated in Manchester
, studying for some time at Owen's College.
He began his career as a provincial journalist
and became the sub-editor of Human Nature, a monthly periodical to which he contributed his first poems. Subsequently he went to Germany
to study. He spent two years in Switzerland
acting as foreign sub-editor of the Swiss Times, published at first in Geneva
and afterwards in Paris
as the Continental Times. Returning to England, he worked for several years in the provincial press, part of this time on the Northampton Mercury. Settling in London
, he contributed, during the ensuing years, to many newspapers and literary periodicals. He was a sometime editor of The Phrenological Magazine and published two books on the now discredited subject of phrenology
.
During his long life, he produced numerous books. These include biographies (The Life of John Linnell
, William Ewart Gladstone
and his Contemporaries,William Blake
, his Life, Character and Genius, James Holmes and John Varley
); local histories (Historical Legends of Northamptonshire
, American Shrines in England); literary essays (Books that are the Hearts of Men, A Book of Vagrom Men and Vagrant Thoughts); popular science works (Wireless Telegraphy
, The Story of Photography
); history (The Building of the Empire); economics (The Martyrdom of Labour); travel (Swiss Life in Town and Country, North Wales); public school fiction (Boys of St. Elmos); romances (Only Half a Hero, Fifine) and poetry (The Northern Cross and Other Poems, The Trumpeter of the Dawn and Other Poems).
North Cave
North Cave is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated to the west of Hull city centre on the B1230 road. South Cave is approximately to the south east....
, in the county of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, the fourth child in the large family of James Story. His family was an old Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
branch of the Northumbrian Story family. His father, a property-owner and keen amateur musician, composer and poet, died when his son was about ten years of age. He was educated in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, studying for some time at Owen's College.
He began his career as a provincial journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and became the sub-editor of Human Nature, a monthly periodical to which he contributed his first poems. Subsequently he went to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to study. He spent two years in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
acting as foreign sub-editor of the Swiss Times, published at first in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and afterwards in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
as the Continental Times. Returning to England, he worked for several years in the provincial press, part of this time on the Northampton Mercury. Settling in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he contributed, during the ensuing years, to many newspapers and literary periodicals. He was a sometime editor of The Phrenological Magazine and published two books on the now discredited subject of phrenology
Phrenology
Phrenology is a pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the human skull, based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules...
.
During his long life, he produced numerous books. These include biographies (The Life of John Linnell
John Linnell
John Sidney Linnell is an American musician, is known primarily as one half of Brooklyn, New York alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants...
, William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
and his Contemporaries,William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
, his Life, Character and Genius, James Holmes and John Varley
John Varley (painter)
John Varley was an English watercolour painter and astrologer, and a close friend of William Blake. They collaborated in 1819–1820 on the book Visionary Heads, written by Varley and illustrated by Blake...
); local histories (Historical Legends of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, American Shrines in England); literary essays (Books that are the Hearts of Men, A Book of Vagrom Men and Vagrant Thoughts); popular science works (Wireless Telegraphy
Wireless telegraphy
Wireless telegraphy is a historical term used today to apply to early radio telegraph communications techniques and practices, particularly those used during the first three decades of radio before the term radio came into use....
, The Story of Photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
); history (The Building of the Empire); economics (The Martyrdom of Labour); travel (Swiss Life in Town and Country, North Wales); public school fiction (Boys of St. Elmos); romances (Only Half a Hero, Fifine) and poetry (The Northern Cross and Other Poems, The Trumpeter of the Dawn and Other Poems).
Selected electronic texts
- Alfred Thomas Story http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Story%2C%20Alfred%20Thomas%2C%201842-1934%22
- Articles in Harper's Magazine http://www.harpers.org/subjects/AlfredThomasStory