James Kenneth Stephen (1859-1892)

"James Kenneth Stephen was born in London on the 25th of February, 1859. He was the second son of his father, who afterwards became Mr. Justice Stephen. In 1868 he went to a school at South-borough, near Tunbridge Wells, kept by the Rev. W. C. Wheeler, and in the following year to the Rev. W. T. Browrnng's school at Thorpe Mandeville, Banbury, which then had a great reputation as a preparatory school for College at Eton^?. In 1871 he was elected a Colleger at Eton, being placed second on the list, and he remained at Eton until Easter 1878, being the pupil first of Mr Oscar Browning, and afterwards of Mr F. W. Cornish, now Vice-Provost. While he was at school he worked hard at such of his studies as particularly interested him, and as hard as he thought practically necessary at those that did not. The consequence was that he distinguished himself greatly as an essay-writer, and a student of history, and did not especially distinguish himself either in classics or mathematics. He always did well enough to obtain promotion in the School on the earliest opportunity, and he obtained an Eton Scholarship at King's, which had always been the object he set before himself, in 1878, when he had attained the usual age for leaving school. ....

"In the summer of 1883 he was selected to read history with Prince Edward of Wales, afterwards Duke of Clarence [ PrinceEddy ], when the Prince had returned from his cruise in the Bacchante, and was going up to Trinity [College at CambridgeUniversity^? ] in the following October. For this purpose he lived for three months at SandringhamHouse^?, where his life was as agreeable to him as his task was profoundly interesting. The lamented death of his illustrious pupil, nine years later, happened barely a week before his own. In 1885 James was called to the Bar, having been a pupil in the chambers of Mr FletcherMoulton^?, and subsequently of Mr R. B. Haldane and the late Mr NorthmoreLawrence^?. His intention was to practise at the ChanceryBar^?, and after completing his term of pupilage with Mr Lawrence he took chambers in StoneBuildings^?. During this time, however, he adopted the practice of journalism, and in the latter part of i886 he became, and continued for a year or rather more, a constant contributor to the St James's Gazette^? which was then edited by his father's old friend Mr FrederickGreenwood^?, who had founded it in the summer of the preceding year. He was an extremely facile, forcible, and original writer, and this part of his life contributed also frequently to the SaturdayReview^?, and occasionally to the PallMallGazette^? and other organs. It was in the last-named journal that he published two of his most successful parodies. ....

"In the autumn of 1891 James seemed to be in better health than he had been for some years, and on his return to Cambridge after the long vacation he took an active part in the controversy then proceeding as to whether some knowledge of Greek should continue to be a necessary qualification for a degree. He vigorously opposed the suggested innovation, and published under the title "The Living Languages" (Cambridge: Macmillan and Bowes, 1891) a pamphlet expounding his opinions on the subject with great cogency and clearness. To his great gratification the Senate, by a signal majority, gave effect to the views he had supported. His second volume of verse was prepared for publication, and for the most part written, during the summer and autumn of this year. The apparent improvement in his health proved to have been illusory. He was taken seriously ill, and had to give up his work and leave Cambridge, in November, and he died on the 3rd of February, 1892."

• Casebook: Jack the Ripper; adapted from:
  • J.K. Stephen, Lapsus Calami and Other Verses, ed. Herbert Stephen (Macmillan & Bowes, 1896)

Note that the conclusion of Herbert Stephen's (that is, his brother's) account is rather polite; it appears that J.K. Stephen went to an insane asylum in November, 1891, and may have died there at his own hand. There is also little question that J.K. Stephen was a misogynist and homosexual, which in the Victorian era would, had it become known, have destroyed him -- probably literally -- an important factor in interpreting Stephen's life, character, and involvement with PrinceEddy. It is also worth noting that there is no evidence whatever that Stephen was ever violent, except (at the end) to himself.

-- ChrisLehrich^? - 29 Dec 2004

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