How could one man leave such an enduring mark on literature and mountaineering? The Leslie Stephen Plaque marks the residence where a true Victorian polymath lived. This plaque at 22 Hyde Park Gate commemorates Sir Leslie Stephen. He was a scholar, writer, and the first editor of the Dictionary of National Biography.
Leslie Stephen’s connection to this very street was long-standing. He was born at number 42. Later he returned to number 20, then known as 11 Hyde Park Gate South. This followed the death of his first wife Harriet. Harriet was the daughter of William Makepeace Thackeray.
Two doors away at number 22 lived Julia Duckworth, a widow. Stephen’s friendship with her blossomed. They married in the spring of 1878. Number 22 became their shared home. It was here that Leslie Stephen died in 1904. They even added a two-story extension. This provided Stephen with a book-lined study on the fourth floor. It also added extra accommodation above.
His daughter Virginia Woolf recalled seven maids crammed into the basement. She described it as dark and insanitary. Virginia and her sister Vanessa were born in a first-floor bedroom here. With their brothers Thoby and Adrian, they created a family newspaper. It was named the Hyde Park Gate News. Interestingly, the sisters now have unofficial plaques at this address.
Beyond literature, Stephen was a skilled mountaineer. His first book was a translation of a German work titled “The Alps”. By 1871, he had enough essays on mountaineering. He published them as “The Playground of Europe”. He even served as president of the Alpine Club. He edited the Alpine Journal from 1865 to 1868. Stephen recorded many first Alpine ascents. He was described as traversing peaks. He moved like a pair of compasses across a map.
While editing the Cornhill Magazine, Stephen encouraged many new writers. These included Henry James and Robert Louis Stephenson. His relationship with Thomas Hardy proved most fruitful. In 1874, he commissioned Hardy’s novel “Far from the Madding Crowd”. He published it as a serial in 12 installments.
In 1876, Stephen published “History of English Thought in the Eighteenth Century”. This established his reputation as an expert. His biographies of Samuel Johnson and Alexander Pope revealed his talent. These achievements led to his appointment as editor. He became editor of the Dictionary of National Biography in 1882.
The editorship was a challenge. Stephen described himself as dragged into the “damnable thing”. He felt like a careless workman caught in moving machinery. Despite this, the first volume was published in 1885 to great acclaim. By his resignation in 1891, Stephen had edited 26 volumes. He continued to contribute biographies. A total of 283 were signed by him. He was knighted in 1902. Sir Leslie Stephen died at 22 Hyde Park Gate on 22 February 1904. His legacy lives on through his writings. It also endures through the work of his children. This plaque serves as a reminder of a remarkable life.