Lever, Charles James

(1806-1872)

   Of English parentage, he was born in Dublin and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1827. He studied medicine at Göttingen, Germany, and qualified at Trinity College in 1831. His medical practice did not support his lifestyle, so he turned to writing, and in 1837 began a series-"Harry Lorrequer"-in the Dublin University Magazine. However, just as success seemed assured, he left Ireland for Brussels, where he had a successful practice. "Charles O'Malley, The Irish Dragoon" appeared in the Dublin Magazine for 1840, and he was editor of the magazine from 1842 to 1845. Thackeray (see entry) visited Lever on his own Irish tour in 1842-43 and dedicated to him his Irish Sketch Book (1876). He moved back to the Continent and was appointed British consul at Spezia, Italy, and in 1867 was made consul of Trieste, where he died of heart failure, his wife having died before him. A collected edition of his works in thirty-three volumes was issued between 1876 and 1878. Some of his other poems: "Mary Draper," "Old Dublin City," "The Bivouac," "The Widow Malone."

   Sources: Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite DVD, 2006. Irish Poems and Blessings: Poems by Charles Lever (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/Lever, Charles Jamesirelandlist/poems.html\#gloryto). Literature on the Age of Napoleon: Fiction and Drama (Digital Texts http://napoleonic-literature.com/AgeOf Napoleon/E-Texts/Fiction.html). The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). War Songs. Christopher Stone, ed. Oxford University Press, 1908.