Henley, William Ernest (1849-1903), British poet, critic and writer

2 personal letters to H. Brereton Marriott Watson (1863 - 1921), journalist and novelist with the address Stanley lodge, Muswell Hill in the top right hand corner. Dated 22 May and 30 May and both signed "W.E.H."

1898

1 file (2 items)

Purchased at Hodgson's, London, June 1920 (acc.57002)

William Ernest Henley was born on 23 August 1849 in Gloucester, England. His education was fairly punctuated due to ill-health and from 12 years old, Henley contracted tuberculosis of the bone. He left school in 1867 and moved to London to try and establish himself as a journalist, and it was around this time (1868-69) that he received treatment in St Bartholomew's Hospital and his left leg was amputated below the knee.

Over the years the disease spread to his right foot and Henley adamantly refused to have his other leg amputated. In 1873 he sought treatment from Joseph Lister, at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, who managed to save his foot following two long years of hospitalisation. It was during these long periods of treatment that Henley could indulge in literature, write poetry and learn other languages.

William worked for various publications, either writing articles or reviews or editing, including the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1875), London magazine (around 1877-1879), The Athenaeum, the Saturday Review, the St James's Gazette, Pall Mall Gazette and Magazine of Art and so on. In 1889 he became editor of the Scots Observer which eventually became the National Observer after its headquarters were transferred to London (1891) and it remained under Henley's editorship until 1893.

Henley left Edinburgh in 1892, lived in various places around London and settled in Woking, Surrey in 1901. His chronic illness was very painful and crippling, and following several further operations he died on 11 July 1903.

A detailed biography is available via the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.