Meynell, Wilfrid, 1852-1948

Name Entries

Information

person

Name Entries *

Meynell, Wilfrid, 1852-1948

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

Meynell

Forename :

Wilfrid

Date :

1852-1948

eng

Latn

authorizedForm

rda

Oldcastle, John, 1852-1948

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

Oldcastle

Forename :

John

Date :

1852-1948

eng

Latn

alternativeForm

rda

Meynell, Wilfred

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

Meynell

Forename :

Wilfred

eng

Latn

alternativeForm

rda

Genders

Exist Dates

Exist Dates - Date Range

1852-11-17

1852 November 17

Birth

1948-10-20

1948 October 20

Death

Show Fuzzy Range Fields

Biographical History

Wilfrid Meynell was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Yorkshire on November 17, 1852. Birth registry and census records indicate that he was probably born Wilfrid Isaac Mennell, to George and Hannah (Tuke) Mennell, but documentation of his name change to "Meynell" is lacking. His family was Quaker, but at the age of eighteen Wilfrid converted to Catholicism and moved to London to pursue a career in journalism. He also wrote poetry, contributing verses to Emily Priestman's Simple Tales (1873), and he began working in publishing under William Lockhart. Wilfrid used the pseudonym John Oldcastle for many of his writings, including later monographs.

Wilfrid Meynell married the Catholic poet Alice C. Thompson in 1877. They had eight children, one of whom died infancy. In 1880, the Meynells undertook their first, short-lived, publishing enterprise, The Pen, to which both contributed. Not long after, Cardinal Manning named Wilfrid editor of the Catholic Weekly Register (edited 1881-1899). It was also during this period that the couple launched Merry England (1883-1895), the liberal Catholic literary magazine that placed them at the center of a prominent, mainly Catholic, literary circle that included George Meredith, Coventry Patmore, and Francis Thompson. Wilfrid also directed the publishing house Burns & Oates, and authored biographies of Cardinals Manning (c. 1885) and John Hentry Newman (1890) and of Brittish Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli (1903).

The Meynells sponsored Catholic poet Francis Thompson, offering friendship, financial support, and publishing his works. After Thompson’s death in 1907, Wilfrid managed his literary estate and dedicated himself to promoting Thompson’s legacy.

In his later years, Wilfrid resided at the family estate at Greatham, Sussex, continued to promote the works of Alice Meynell and Francis Thompson, and contributed regularly to the Dublin Review and The Tablet. In 1943 King George VI of teh United Kingdom honored Wilfrid with the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Wilfrid Meynell died in Pullborough, Sussex, on October 22, 1948, at 95 years of age.

eng

Latn

External Related CPF

https://viaf.org/viaf/10242705

https://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-no98084890

https://id.loc.gov/authorities/no98084890

https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q8001969

https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KCQ6-NG1

Other Entity IDs (Same As)

Sources

Loading ...

Resource Relations

Loading ...

Internal CPF Relations

Loading ...

Languages Used

Subjects

Publishers and publishing

Authors, English

English literature

Journalists

Male authors, English

Nationalities

Activities

Occupations

Authors, English

Editors

Legal Statuses

Places

Greater London

ENG, GB

AssociatedPlace

Residence

Yorkshire

ENG, GB

AssociatedPlace

Birth

Convention Declarations

<conventionDeclaration><citation>VIAF</citation></conventionDeclaration>

General Contexts

Structure or Genealogies

Mandates

Identity Constellation Identifier(s)

w699912f

87990543