Leslie Stephen Blue Plaque

About This Blue Plaque

Sir Leslie Stephen was a distinguished Victorian scholar, writer, and mountaineer. Born in 1832, he made significant contributions to English literature as an editor, biographer, and critic. Stephen is best known for his role as the first editor of the Dictionary of National Biography, a monumental work that aimed to provide comprehensive biographies of notable figures in British history.

In addition to his editorial work, Stephen was a prolific writer, penning numerous essays, biographies, and books on a wide range of subjects. His most famous works include “The History of English Thought in the Eighteenth Century” and “The English Utilitarians”. Stephen’s passion for mountaineering led him to become one of the early members of the Alpine Club, and he is credited with several first ascents in the Alps.

Stephen’s personal life was marked by both joy and tragedy. He was married twice, first to Harriet Marian Thackeray, the daughter of novelist William Makepeace Thackeray, and later to Julia Prinsep Jackson. His second marriage produced four children, including the notable modernist painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, as well as the writer Virginia Woolf. Sadly, Julia died in 1895, leaving Stephen to raise their young children alone. He lived at 22 Hyde Park Gate, located in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, an affluent area known for its stunning architecture, museums, and proximity to the famous Hyde Park. Stephen passed away in 1904, leaving behind a legacy of intellectual brilliance and a remarkable family that would shape the course of 20th-century art and literature.