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SOME DATES IN THE LIFE OF WILLIAM THOMAS STEAD. 



(^._july 5th.— Born of the Rev. William Stead and 1883.- 

 Isabella Stead at Embleton .Manse. North- 

 umberland. 1884.- 

 The family removed to Howdon-on-Tyne, 

 where his father was for thirty-four years 

 pastor of the Congregational Church. 

 I61. — Went to Silcoates School for the sons of Congre- 

 gational ministers and others for two years. 

 I63. — Went as office-boy into the office of Mr. T. Y. 

 Strachan, accountant, Xewcastle-on-Tyne. 

 Engaged as clerk by a firm which was also the 

 Russian Vice-Consulate for Newcastle-on- 

 Tyne. 1885.- 

 Wrote several essays for prize competition in 

 the Boys' Own Magazine. The first was on 

 •' Coal " ; the second on " The Villains of 

 Shakespeare " ; the third (which gained a 

 prize) on " Oliver Cromwell." 

 His reading and writing were arrested for a 

 timeljy weakness in the eyes. He made only 

 slow progress, by having others to read to 

 him. He took this as sign that he must 

 devote himself more to the affairs of the 

 village, and especially to the lads in his 

 Sunday-school class. This he did. He also 

 busied himself for the improvement of roads 

 and better sanitation in the village. His 1886. 

 eyesight gradually recovered. 

 The office wTiere he was clerk being visited by 

 numljers of beggars, he began writing letters 

 in the Northern Daily Express, advocating 

 the formation of a Mendicity Society for 1887. 

 inquiry into alleged cases of distress, and so 

 preventing fraud. As someone afterwards 

 said, " He mounted to fame on a beggar's 1888. 

 back." 

 Then began to write for the Northern Echo, 

 a halfpenny daily just established in Dar- 

 lington. 1889. 

 P.eiame Editor of the Northern Echo, on the 

 invitation of Mr. John Hyslop Bell (for the 

 pro[)rietors). 1890. 

 )une 14th. — Married Emma Lucy, daughter of 

 Henry WiKon, of IIo\sdon-on-Tyne, and 

 took up his abode at Oaklands, or Grainey 

 Hill, in the outskirts dI Darlington. 

 876. — Was moved by letter of .MacGahan. in the Daily 

 Neuis. flescribing the atrocities practised 

 upon the Turks by the 15u!garians at Halak, 

 to take a leading part in the agitation which 1891 

 Inllowed. 

 I'irst met Madame Novikoff, Mr. Gladstone. 



Thomas Carlyle. 

 Published " Electors' Catechism." 1892 



Became .Assistant Editor to John Morlev at 

 the Pall Mall Gazette. 

 882.— I'ublished " Fiflv Years of the House of 

 Lord-." 



B7..- 



873- 



877- 

 880.- 



— Published " England, (lordon. and the Soudan." 



Became sole Editor of the Pall Mall Gazette. 

 —Interviewed General Gordon, which led to 

 Gordon being sent to Khartoum. 

 Organised Commission of Inquiry into Con- 

 ditions of the Poor along the lines followed 

 two years after bv Mr. Charles Booth. 

 Published " Who is 'to Have the Soudan ? " 

 Secured by circular a majority of Liberal M.P.'s 

 to declare for the retention of Irish Members 

 at Westminster ; " no\ernmenl by circular." 

 Published " The Truth About the Navy." 

 —Opposed by articles and pamphlets the idea of 

 war with Russia over the Penjdeh incident. 

 Published " Too Late," "■ Fight or Arbitrate " 



and " The Navy of Old England." 

 Published " The Maiden Tribute of Modern 



Babylon." 

 Spoke at many meetings on the subject of his 



approaching trial. 

 September. — Tried at Bow Street along with 

 Bramwell Booth. Sampson Jacques. Mrs. 

 Coombes. and Mrs. Jarrett. 

 November 4th. — Was sentenced to three 

 months' imprisonment, and edited the Pall 

 Mall Gazette in prison. 

 —Published " No Reduction, No Rent ! " (Plan 

 of Campaign). " Deliverance or Doom," 

 ■■ John -Morley : the Irish Record of the 

 New Chief Secretary " and " Lord Randolph 

 Churchill : Radical or Renegade .' " 

 — Took up the Langworthy case. 

 Published '" Remember Trafalgar Square ! " 

 and '• Not for Joe ! " 

 —Visited Russia ; was received by Tsar Ale.\- 

 ander HI. 

 Published " The Truth About Russia." 

 Attended Parnell Commission. 

 —Visited Rome, and (ne.xt year) published " The 

 Pope and the New Era " and " Pigottism 

 and the Times." 

 —Left the Pall Mall Gazelle and founded the 

 Review of Reviews. 

 Published " Portraits and Autographs." 

 Witnessed the Passion Play at Oberammergau . 

 and published " The Story that Trans- 

 formed the World " and " The Passion Play 

 as Pla)ed To-day." 

 Published "Discrowned King of Ireland." 

 —Issued //<-//) (Feb. 1891-Dec. 1892.) 

 F'ounded A merit an Revieio uj Revieics. 

 Published " Character Sketches " and " Real 

 Ghost Stories." 

 — Founded .Australasian Review of Revicivs. 

 Published " More Gho.>t Stories." 

 Published " The Electors' Guide (L.C.C. Elec- 

 tion) and " On the ICvc " (Handbook to the 

 General Eleeticn). 



